South East Farmer Christmas 2020 by KELSEY Media

Est 1982

Christmas 2020

FEATURE SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES A look at some big players in the forestry industry in the South East

PROPERTY

NEWS

END OF YEAR REVIEW

FUTURE OF FARMING ‘ROADMAP’

Despite a historically turbulent year, the rural property market in the South East has fared remarkably well

COLUMNIST NICK ADAMES

The community attitude is quite exceptional

CONFERENCE REVIEW

Agriculture’s ambitious plans to take the lead on tackling climate change were highlighted at this year’s South of England Agricultural Society’s farming conference

Farming is changing like never before. The opportunities are out there. CLM offers new ideas with traditional values.

• Farm business & estate management • Subsidies & grants • Land sales & acquisition • Planning & development • Natural capital & ecology 01892 770339 www.c-l-m.co.uk

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NEWS & REPORTS

Future of farming ‘roadmap’. Last chance saloon. New trees for the South Downs. Late payments could be a thing of the past.

REGULARS

MONICA AKEHURST

SARAH CALCUTT

The last thing you want is a road runner.

ALAN WEST

MARKET REPORTS

NICK ADAMES

Agriculture’s ambitious plans to take the lead on tackling climate change were highlighted at this year’s conference.

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

At the end of a historically turbulent year, a look at the rural property market in the South East.

SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

The opportunities on offer in forestry are highlighted in a series of reports from some of the South East’s leading lights in the industry.

ADVICE FROM THE VET There’s praise from Nick for the community attitude shown by the local school, although he suspects it is the exception rather than the rule.

STEPHEN CARR

LEGAL

SOUTH OF ENGLAND FARMING CONFERENCE

Where do we go from here?

39 42

FEATURES

CONTENTS

ANITA HEAD

20 ®

www.southeastfarmer.net SOUTH EAST FARMER Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Malcolm Triggs Email: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Photography: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic PUBLISHER Jamie McGrorty 01303 233883 jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk AD PRODUCTION Studio Manager: Jo Legg jo.legg@kelsey.co.uk Graphic Designer: James Pitchford TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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Kelsey Media 2020 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services oﬀered by third parties. Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/ . If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Oﬃcer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk.

www.kelsey.co.uk Cover picture: South East Forestry © Martin Apps

OP IN IO N

Don’t bury good news

It was a Labour party spin doctor who first came up with the now oft-quoted line about it being “a good day to bury bad news”. Her insensitivity – she was referring to the day of the devastating 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre – eventually led to her resignation. I only mention it because it seems to me that the farming industry is sometimes guilty of burying not bad news, but good. Consider the news that UK sales of antibiotics to treat food producing animals have halved since 2014, while sales of Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics (HP-CIAs) have been slashed by 75%. Consider also that those figures are included in a story that announces not that the industry feels it has done enough, but that it has set itself new, even stricter targets for reducing antibiotic use – despite the fact that the UK is already the lowest user of antibiotics amongst more commercially productive European countries. At a time when young people, in particular, are increasingly tempted by a vegetarian diet, with some citing antibiotic usage as one of their concerns, these are the kind of statistics that we should not just be proud of but should be highlighting at every opportunity. We will only counter misinformation by providing – and shouting proudly about – the truth. My question is: “Does that happen enough?” While 2020 was clearly a difficult year for many - and a tragic one for some – farmers can at least reflect on an increasing public awareness of local produce, the need for traceability and the dedication with which the UK’s hard-working farmers continued to put food on the nation’s plates during the pandemic. Farm shops and farm-based delivery services did their bit, new business models were created to meet changing requirements, livestock markets continued to operate in a Covid-secure way and the nation’s farmers made sure it was business as usual during far from usual times. Nobody clapped for farmers – not that farmers would have wanted it – but they got the job done quietly and effectively. The challenge now is to maintain the public’s new-found awareness that food doesn’t just appear on supermarket shelves as if by magic. At a time when farming issues have shifted from the pre-dawn obscurity of Farming Today to regular features on the mainstream news, thanks in particular to Brexit and the Agriculture Act, this is certainly as good a time as any for the industry to capitalise on its current popularity with the public. And with one of the most important debates around the Agriculture Act being about the safety and quality standards of imported foodstuffs, highlighting our record on slashing antibiotic use in livestock wouldn’t be a bad place to start. Have an enjoyable and peaceful Christmas, and let’s hope farming organisations recognise this unique opportunity and make a joint new year’s resolution to go all out for shameless selfpromotion. **Stop Press** Live exports to be banned, says DEFRA. What do you MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR think? Tell our letters page!

EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3 ®

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK

An outbreak of bird ﬂu in Kent has been followed by a number of others elsewhere in the country, prompting the UK’s chief vet to declare the whole of England an Avian Inﬂuenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ). Poultry keepers throughout Great Britain have been instructed to increase their biosecurity after further outbreaks in Cheshire, Herefordshire and Leicestershire and at a nature reserve at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. The introduction of the AIPZ followed an earlier decision by DEFRA to raise the risk of avian influenza affecting wild birds in Great Britain from ‘medium’ to ‘high’. All bird keepers are now legally required to follow strict biosecurity measures. Keepers with more than 500 birds need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites, workers will need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and site vehicles will need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly. UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said the aim was to prevent the disease spreading to more poultry and other domestic birds. Public Health England has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency has said bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. The H5N2 strain was first confirmed in early November at Chookies Farm and Feed Store at Hacklinge near Deal, where geese, chickens, ducks, black swans, canaries and rheas were all killed in an attempt to limit the spread of the disease. Poultry keepers and members of the public should report dead wild birds to the DEFRA helpline on 03459 33 55 77 and keepers should report suspicion of disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301.

NEW MAN AT THE HELM

AT BRITISH WOOL

British Wool has appointed Andrew Hogley as Acting Chief Executive Officer following Joe Farren’s decision to step down for personal reasons. “We are fortunate to have someone of Andrew’s calibre and experience to step up to lead British Wool,” said Chairman Jim Robertson. “Andrew has worked very closely with Joe over the past three-and-a-half years and has an excellent understanding of the complexities of our business and the markets we serve. “The Board looks forward to working with Andrew, ensuring we continue to represent the best interests of our producers in maximising the value of their wool.” Mr Hogley said he was “honoured and excited to lead British Wool” and understood “the challenges we face over the coming months and years”. A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge and a Chartered Financial Analyst, Andrew worked in the city as an equity research analyst for 16 years before becoming director of wool sales and producer services at British Wool.

NEWS The British potato harvest for 2020 is set to top 5.3m tonnes, just 2.8% up on last year’s figure, according to provisional estimates by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). The figure, while slightly below the five-year average of 5.4m tonnes, comes against the backdrop of an exceptionally wet harvest period for the second year running. The wet harvest caused particular problems for growers in the South East, who, in the words of Graeme Skinner, agronomist with East Kent-based marketing group Provenance Potatoes, “had the weather this year that Lincolnshire growers had last year”. Speaking towards the end of November, Graeme said some growers needed another week of dry weather to finish lifting their crop, which put them a good month behind their normal timescale. He said the slower, more difficult harvest had pushed costs up and pointed out that the potatoes lifted this late in the season would not be suitable for storage. While the yield was average, quality was “good to above average” for those potatoes harvested earlier, he said. The AHDB said that growers generally had fared There was a mixed response to the release of the Government’s much-heralded ‘roadmap’ to the future of farming at the end of last month. While the industry has generally been supportive of the plan to pay farmers for ‘public goods’ instead of the area-based Direct Payments paid under the EU’s Basic Payment Scheme regime, Environment Secretary George Eustice’s update was not universally welcomed. In a speech to farmers and environmental groups at an Oxford Farming Conference OFCBitesize event, Mr Eustice described the move from Direct Payments to the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS) as “the most significant change to farming and land management in 50 years”. He added: “Outside the EU and no longer bound by the EU’s bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy, the plans set out how government plans to introduce a new system that is tailored in the interests of English farmers, centred on support that rewards farmers and land managers for sustainable farming practices.” Mr Eustice also pledged: “Direct Payments will be reduced fairly, starting from the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme year, with the money released being used to fund new grants and schemes to boost farmers’ productivity and reward environmental improvements.” Much of the information in the speech has been in the public domain for some time and will have come as no surprise to farmers and landowners, although it did confirm that the Sustainable Farming Incentive is Tier 1 of ELMS rather than a stepping stone towards it.

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WET WEATHER DELAYS POTATO

HARVEST IN SOUTH EAST

better this year than last in getting the crop from soggy ground, with figures suggesting that on 10 November there was just 2% of the planted area still to be lifted, compared with 11% of the crop estimated to be still in the soil on 12 November 2019. The figure follows an AHDB estimate that the planted area this year was the third lowest on record. Alice Bailey, Senior Analyst at AHDB, said the overall net yield was “in line with the five-year national average” but said anecdotal reports suggested yields

had been “somewhat variable from farm to farm, even field to field”. She added: “We saw planted area drop by 2.3% this year, yet we are estimating a 2.8% rise in production. This is based on both a slight increase in yields year-onyear and the fact that a large area was left unharvested last year. The unlifted area in 2019 was estimated at 6%, whereas in 2018 less than 1% was estimated to be left in the ground and we would anticipate similar this year.”

FUTURE OF FARMING

‘ROADMAP’ There was a warning, though, that while good for the environment, the new system would not be welcomed by small farmers or by those in the beef and sheep sectors. Sarah Dodds, Head of Agriculture at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said that while the plans had been well received by many, “tenant farmers and the beef and sheep sectors can be forgiven if they don’t feel overjoyed”. She explained: “The difficulty is that to unlock the top-level funding for environmental projects, under Tier 2 and Tier 3 of ELMS, farmers will need a lot of land, as projects like reforestation or the restoration of wetlands are only feasible on farms of a certain size. “The system may therefore reward larger landowners at the expense of smaller farmers, who don’t own their own land, and threaten sectors such as livestock who can’t use their land for environmental purposes so easily. “This is ironic as the current CAP system, which is based on the amount of land farmed, is often criticised for rewarding larger landowners. The new system doesn’t seem to change much on this

front. What’s more, UK livestock farmers are under further threat with the prospect of cheaper imports, with lower welfare standards, following Brexit, so now is an especially bad time to put them at a disadvantage for funding.” Crispin Truman, chief executive of countryside charity the CPRE, said that while putting countryside, nature recovery, better soil health and climate change centre stage was welcome, “so much depends on ministers getting the delivery and detail of new policy right”. Mr Truman also welcomed plans for a New Entrant Support Scheme to help tackle “declining opportunities for new and young farmers to start their own business”. Another cautious welcome came from RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood, who said: “We welcome the government’s commitment to paying subsidies for improving animal welfare rather than simply for farming based on the size of land, as we know it’s an issue consumers care deeply about. We now need the Government to ring fence part of the budget for animal welfare to ensure these schemes can work effectively.”

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

NEWS

LAST CHANCE SALOON

Next year’s COP26 conference on climate change was described as the “last chance saloon” for tackling the issue at this year’s LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) annual conference Jonathan Wadsworth, Lead Climate Change Specialist at The World Bank, said the “window of opportunity” to stop global warming exceeding 1.50°C was “closing fast” but said that while agriculture was a victim of climate change it was also a culprit and could at the same time be a massive contributor to solving the problem. Chaired by BBC broadcaster Tom Heap, the well-attended online conference brought together leading thinkers from the food and farming industries to discuss the climate change emergency ahead of COP26, more formally known as the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. With this vital global summit scheduled to be held in Glasgow, the mood amongst those taking part was that the UK was in a good position to provide strong leadership and play a major part in providing answers to the potential crisis. Tom Heap introduced the topic by pointing out that while there was a general feeling that Covid-19 was limiting what people could do, this was in fact the “absolutely perfect time to tackle climate change”, adding that next year’s global summit

plus the focus on ‘building back better’ provided “a perfect formula for action”. LEAF Chief Executive Caroline Drummond explained: “While many aspects of our lives have been disrupted in 2020 with Covid-19, and in the UK with Brexit, climate change has continued relentlessly. Never before has it been so clear that we need to take action that is long-term, inclusive and creates change to tackle the climate crisis and achieve stability in our environment around net carbon zero and sustainable development.” National Farmers Union President Minette Batters also reinforced the importance of 2021 as a vital year of climate action and highlighted the NFU’s ambitious goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the whole of agriculture in England and Wales by 2040. Referring to COP26 as “the most important round of climate change discussions to date”, she suggested 2021 would be “a big year for the UK but a massive year for the world”. Chris Buss, deputy director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s global forest and climate change programme, said farmers were a “key delivery mechanism” for addressing climate change solutions. “Nature-based solutions and land use can both play a combative role. Planting trees on farmland can not only help improve soil fertility but it can bring nutrients into farming systems, help regulate water and provide building materials and firewood.”

He added: “Farmers are drivers of change and manage the land where the opportunities are.” The audience was generally positive about farmers’ ability to shape the future, with a poll showing 50% felt confident (at least seven out of ten) that the industry could halve its carbon footprint in 10 years. LEAF demonstration farmer and sustainable farming pioneer Duncan Farrington, the first producer to go carbon and plastic neutral, highlighted the importance of monitoring data and the need for an “accepted and certified methodology”. He said that after monitoring one field for 18 years while practising sustainable farming, he had achieved a 75% increase in soil organic matter, while one field was absorbing an extra 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Duncan added that going carbon neutral would be a commercial success rather than just a moral one because society would demand it and pay for it. He said his vision for the industry was that farmers would earn income from food and produce, income from public goods through the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS) and income from the private sector through carbon trading, together with some income from eco-tourism. Ms Batters pointed out that livestock farmers were already locking down carbon by not disturbing the soil and said there were new opportunities such as creating herbal leys and panting clover to lock in nitrogen and use less synthetic fertiliser, reducing costs while improving the environment.

LEARNING BY NUMBERS

LEAF Education, part of sustainable farming charity LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), has looked back on the past academic year in a report entitled Our Work in Action 2019-2020. 9,238 – the number of students learning about careers in food and farming 10,586 – children learned about where their food comes from 24,589 – the number or hours dedicated to children’s learning 158,000 –unique visitors to the LEAF website 134,000 – Countryside Classroom resources accessed during the year 3,531 – the number of farmers helped to deliver educational activities 100% – positive responses from both teachers and farmers when surveyed about LEAF’s support. For the full report, see https://bit.ly/3nryWJj

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

NEWS

NEW TREES FOR THE

SOUTH DOWNS A Hampshire farmer who was forced to fell dying ash trees in the South Downs this autumn is one of many who have benefited from a grant to replace the trees, restore the landscape and support the ecosystem. Neil Saunders, who farms at Hamilton Farm in Beauworth and Down Farm in Kilmeston, near Winchester, surveyed the trees on his land to check out the impact of ash dieback disease, and discovered that many of them needed to be felled. It was a costly exercise, but he has now been able to replace them with a mix of field maple and beech, together with a number of oak trees, all donated by the South Downs National Park Trust as part of its Trees for the Downs campaign. “The South Downs landscape is really, really special and it was a shame that we had to take out the ash, but the help from the trust to replace them was very welcome,” said Neil. “The new trees will help to restore the landscape, provide habitat for wildlife and lock up carbon.” The very first tree of the campaign, a field maple, was planted at Hamilton Farm by TV presenter Nicki Chapman during filming for Escape to the Country. It was the first of more

than 8,000 trees due to be planted across the South Downs this winter after Trees for the Downs smashed its fundraising target. The campaign was launched during National Tree Week in November 2019 and was expected to run for one year, but after an impressive £65,000 in donations was more than matched by a further grant of £75,000 from South East Water, it is set to continue for the next five years and plant tens of thousands more trees. Countryside and Policy Manager Nick Heasman, who heads the National Park’s woodlands team, said: “We’ve been very encouraged by the support for Trees for the Downs and the campaign has just snowballed. This additional funding from South East Water is a great boost and means we can continue to plant new life-giving trees potentially for the next five years. “Trees are part of the rich tapestry of features that make the South Downs landscape so special to people. They’re also cornerstones of any ecosystem and that means by planting more trees

in the right place, we’re helping nature recovery, improving the quality of the soil and helping to mitigate against climate change.” Richard Dyer, biodiversity manager for South East Water, which has pledged £15,000 every year until 2025, said protecting and enhancing the natural environment was “one of our highest priorities”. He added: “As significant landowners, we look after 33 sites which are within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), a National Nature Reserve, two nature reserves and numerous sites within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We know that planting these trees will have numerous benefits for the natural landscape, including an increase in biodiversity, improvement in water quality and creating more resilience against drought and flooding.” Landowners, farmers and community-interest organisations with suitable land for tree planting will be invited to apply for trees in future rounds of the scheme.

To donate to the campaign visit www.southdownstrust.org.uk/trees-for-the-downs/

> Nicki Chapman plants the first tree in the South Downs for the Trees for the Downs campaign, alongside South Downs National Park Woodlands Oﬃcer Bob Epsom TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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NEWS

A THING OF

THE PAST

Late payments, burdensome bureaucracy and field mapping to four decimal places will be a thing of the past as the UK moves from the Basic Payment Scheme to the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS), landowners have been assured. Addressing day one of the CLA’s Rural Powerhouse Week, Secretary of State for DEFRA George Eustice painted a glowing picture of a post-Brexit age that would see farmers and landowners working hand in hand with a government committed to delivering public money for public goods. In an online interview conducted by CLA President Mark Bridgeman and watched by an impressive number of members, he said ELMS would address the “chronic weaknesses of the EU” which had been plagued by problems with audit and over-regulation and calls for fields to be mapped “to four decimal places”. He said the policy of area-based subsidy payments had been a mistake and that the EU’s scheme should always have had more of an environmental focus, something he said ELMS would put right as it helped build “a vibrant, profitable industry that gets a fair share of the value it creates”. Mr Eustice said he hoped post-Brexit agriculture would provide “new opportunities for new entrants, and fresh thinking”, and highlighted the need for more woodland and forestry operations as an important contribution to the UK achieving its environmental goals. During the seminar, entitled A future without BPS, he said government policy would not be based on a “top down rule book” but would be about supporting individual choices made by farmers. While Tier 1 of ELMS would be available to everyone, the two higher tiers would allow landowners to deliver more ambitious environmental schemes, he said. Asked by Mr Bridgeman whether the future was about “land sharing or land sparing”, Mr Eustice said meeting the twin aims of feeding the nation while reducing carbon emissions would need a mix of both options, with some more intensive farming and other areas dedicated to new woodland. Although he said not requiring a common start date was a major benefit of ELMS over BPS, he said there were no plans to introduce a flexible start date regime to Countryside Stewardship schemes. He stressed, though, that Countryside Stewardship would be a “stepping stone” to ELMS Tier 2 and said no farmer or landowner would be disadvantaged by joining a stewardship scheme

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2020 ahead of the ELMS rollout. Mr Eustice said that his vision for ELMS was of a trusted agronomist, supported by the Government, walking the fields with the landowners and putting together a plan for each individual farm. It was about “human interaction and judgment and an end to chronic bureaucracy,” he said. While there were no new details on how the sustainable farming incentive would work, Mr Eustice said it would be open to all farmers and would encourage sustainable practices around water quality, soil health and integrated pest management. On the possibility of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, Mr Eustice said the Government was still working towards a zero tariff agreement but that the EU was being “particularly difficult”. He said that while a no deal exit would have an effect in areas such as sheep and barley, the UK was overall a net importer, which meant the EU would be “cutting off their nose to spite their face”. Such a scenario would also open up opportunities for local producers to step in to replace imports, he added.

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NEWS A Buckinghamshire farmer has backed an urgent demand for more information about how farmers are expected to manage the transition from basic payments to the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS). Charlie Edgley, a member of a family partnership that runs Kensham Farms, near High Wycombe, believes that losing Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) funding in the long term will make most farming unviable in the UK, with as yet limited information on how it will be replaced. Like thousands of other farmers across the country, he will need the support the government’s much-vaunted ELMS scheme, but while welcoming the extra detail contained in the latest ‘roadmap’ announcement, he is still looking for more reassurance, pointing out that the only thing he knows for sure is that ELMS will take four years to be fully introduced while cuts to basic payments will begin in 2021. The problem was raised earlier by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which has written to 200 rural MPs stressing that the Government is not ready to begin the transition away from BPS and urging them to write to DEFRA Secretary of State George Eustice to ask him to slow down the speed of cuts to basic payments. The CLA, which represents 30,000 landowners across England and Wales, warns that transitioning from the old system to the new is fraught with dangers, with many farmers fearing they could be put out of business if the transition is handled badly. While Charlie’s diversified 2,500-acre operation does not face that level of risk, he pointed out that his arable side of the business would have made a profit in just three of the past ten years without BPS grants. “In a good year it’s the profit and in a bad year it helps keep us afloat,” he commented. Bridging the gap to ELMS is the problem, as Charlie explained: “The uncertainty is the real issue,” he said. “Once you know what’s happening and what you are going to get you can plan for it. At the moment we know hardly anything about the tiers or the payment rates. “The basic Tier 1 payment will apparently reward ‘good farming practices’, but we haven’t been told what they are yet. Tier 2 will clearly reflect more ambitious schemes and Tier 3 looks to be pretty impossible unless you build a new hill and plant trees on it – but we don’t have any details.” The proposed Sustainable Farming Incentive has been billed as a ‘stepping stone’ to support farm incomes and encourage a shift to soil and wildlife friendly practices between the end of BPS and the full roll-out of ELMS, but that is not expected to start until 2022. “It’s all very frustrating,” added Charlie, who runs a long-term milling wheat operation but has also diversified into solar power, an equestrian

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MORE INFORMATION

DEMANDED

operation and business lets. “We don’t really know how Brexit will turn out or what the Agriculture Act has in store. Farming is a long-term occupation. I have already sold grain from my next harvest, but the Government can’t even think ahead far enough to tell me what will happen on 1 January.” As the CLM pointed out in its letter to rural MPs: “By the time ELMS is fully available, many family farms face losing 50% of the financial support they have previously received. Given even large farming enterprises operate on wafer thin margins, it seems clear many businesses will be put at risk.” President Mark Bridgeman said: “At a time of dramatic change, globally and domestically, this latest threat to farming risks plunging the sector into a new and entirely unnecessary crisis. “The farming industry has encouraged the Government to build a bridge between the old and the new schemes and to phase the change

carefully. To their credit, ministers listened, but information on this bridging mechanism is very scarce. “The Government’s aims of a more sustainable farming sector are noble; we support them fully. We also understand the Government’s desire to make a clean break from European policy, but in their haste to remove the old system they risk driving out of business the very people who will deliver the environmental benefits they – and the public – wish for.” The letter to rural MPs pointed out: “Whilst the EU system has many and varied flaws, it accounts for well over half the income of the average farm business, and that proportion rises to 70% for livestock, cereals and mixed farms.” It added: “According to DEFRA’s own statistics, only a quarter of farms make a profit from their agricultural activities.”

> Charlie Edgley

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

NEWS

TFA SUPPORTS JOINT STATEMENT

The Tenant Farmers Association has lent its weight to a joint statement from farming organisations on the lack of detail on future farm policy as 1 January approaches. The organisation points out: “Despite four years of discussions with DEFRA and with the end of the EU transitional period now weeks away, very little of the detail surrounding the Government's plans for future farm policy in England are known. “Originally planned for announcement in July, we now expect a statement to be made at the end of February, following the one-year spending review from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Even so, the TFA is gravely concerned that this will contain insufficient detail to allow for businesses to adequately plan for the future.” The joint statement, also backed by the NFU and CLA, called for greater “clarity and engagement” on the details of the transition. It pointed out: “We are less than eight [at the time] weeks from this historic moment, but in many parts of the UK, despite some government discussions, many farmers and landowners have no clear detailed picture of what or how these new policy frameworks will replace those run under the Common Agricultural Policy for almost 50 years.”

After Environment Secretary George Eustice published his agricultural transition plan at the end of November, providing slightly more detail in some areas, the TFA confirmed it had already begun working closely with DEFRA on turning the proposed schemes for boosting farm productivity into workable schemes. A spokesman added that the association was working to ensure tenant farmers had equal access to those schemes and still backed the joint statement’s call for more information. The statement went on: “Our organisations are unclear how measures in each part of the UK will avoid dislocation and disruption of the UK single market, or how the impact of new trade agreements will be weighed in the speed and direction of domestic agricultural transition. Detailed discussion with farming groups on these critical issues must be prioritised.” It added: “Our dual role as food producers and environmental stewards should be a defining feature of all agricultural policies across the UK” and pointed out that against a backdrop of huge economic intervention following the Covid-19 pandemic, “agriculture’s share of public expenditure sustains worldleading standards of production”. The statement stressed: “The UK Government is negotiating new trade agreements with the

European Union and countries around the world. We have always argued that agreement with the EU must be the priority. The EU will remain the largest market for UK farm product for the foreseeable future. Therefore, that agreement must provide as free and frictionless context as possible. “We welcome the Government’s recognition, with the establishment of the Trade and Agriculture Commission, that high production standards are a valuable feature of UK farming. Protecting our standards and any threat to them must be a material consideration for new trade agreements put before Parliament for approval.” The joint statement calls on ministers to provide: • Clear roadmaps setting out their agricultural transition plans, that give all farmers the opportunity to consider and respond to policy options and adapt their business plans • Assurance that public investment in climatefriendly sustainable farming systems is maintained during and beyond this policy transition • Confidence that retaining high UK farm production standards will be a material consideration as new trade agreements are negotiated and agreed.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LPAS Have you ever thought about how you would like your affairs managed if you couldn’t make decisions for yourself? The Mental Capacity Act introduced two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) – a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA. An LPA may authorise your attorney(s) only to make decisions affecting the operation of your farming business, concerning, for example: • Control, management, sale, exchange and acquisition of farming assets

• Entering into farm business tenancies, herbage agreements and other contracts • Undertaking appropriate planning so that any available tax reliefs and subsidies are not lost • Paying wages and tax • Hiring and removing employees. When making decisions, your business attorney should consider how you would have acted. If there is no LPA in place and you lose capacity, an application to the Court of Protection for a “deputyship” order can be made. While any views

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

you can express should be taken into account, you will not be in control of exactly who is appointed as deputy. During this time your farm would be at risk from problems such as the bank freezing the farm account, contracts not being fulfilled and loss of confidence from the farming community. To discuss this issue further contact Una Angus at Thomson Snell & Passmore una.angus@ts-p.co.uk

NEWS > Mark Chandler

TALKING TRACTORS Talks aimed at smoothing the way for farmers to use Chichester’s ring road as they go about their business of producing and delivering the country’s food have been held with the town’s mayor. Chichester City Council requested the meeting following a serious accident between a cyclist and a tractor trailer, complaints from residents concerned about safety and disturbance and “a perception of more movement of tractors and trailers through the residential areas”. In a bid to foster better understanding of the need for farmers to use tractors on the roads as well as in the fields, West Sussex NFU chairman Mark Chandler joined an online meeting with the Mayor, Councillor Richard Plowman, and representatives of Sussex Police and West Sussex County Council’s Highways Department. “We emphasised that there is a real need for farm vehicles to access Chichester as the city is at a crossroads for coast and countryside, and farmers need to go about their business of producing our food,” said Richard. “Access is vital, particularly during peak times when crops are being harvested and fresh produce needs to be sent on its way to supermarkets and processors.” The Mayor said he felt the meeting had “achieved the aim of a better understanding of the need for farm vehicle movements in the city centre and around the city’s ring road”.

YFC ACHIEVERS

RECOGNISED

A teenager from Weald of Kent Young Farmers’ Club has been recognised for her contribution to the club in her first year of membership. Sophie, 14, was named New Member of the Year, one of a series of awards presented by The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) to recognise the achievements of rural young people during the pandemic The awards were presented online to the winners in seven categories during National Young Farmers’ Week, sponsored by NatWest. The bank was involved in judging the Entrepreneur of the Year category, which was won by 24 year-old Ed Jones from Shropshire, whose start-up agricultural contracting business now employs people and has already expanded to include a firewood business and a dealership. “Being a member of YFC has given me a lot of confidence in dealing with people and there’s also a great network in the organisation,” he said.

In periods of uncertainty, you can the test of time. W hav We a e been delivering peace of av mind to generations off ffamilies and businesses, since 1570.

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NEWS

A Sussex estate and a South East-based firm of rural consultants are hosting one of nine national pilot projects to shape the future of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Iford Estate and CLM are taking part in the Natural England-run initiative to help devise a framework for the a concept, which is set to become law under the Environment Act and bring big opportunities for farmers and landowners. The new legislation will require developers to provide a 10% net gain in biodiversity from each of their sites. Those that are unable to do so on site can instead purchase biodiversity units from an 'offsite market' which will then be invested in habitat provision projects. The recently launched pilots, which include Abbotts Hall Farm and Spains Hall Estate, in Essex, will feed into the design of a Biodiversity Credits System (see box). They will throw light on everything from how biodiversity can best be measured and the rules that govern the management of the land involved through to which habitats are incentivised and how much they cost to create. Pilot projects that join the scheme will be able to receive credit investment money as soon as it becomes available in 2023, which could result in Iford creating 76ha of lowland chalk grassland from arable land and turning 22ha of semi-improved chalk ground into species-rich grassland. In tandem with this, 86ha of coastal and floodplain grazing marsh could be restored and enhanced on the estate in the South Downs National Park, improving the habitat for various species including wading birds and increasing the land’s ability to hold floodwater. “This is a chance to be involved in understanding more about BNG and to potentially shape it for the

PILOT PROJECTS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE benefit of all,” said Ben Taylor, managing director at Iford. “With BPS being phased out, agricultural returns are under threat, so we’re trying to find other ways to utilise land effectively, responsibly and profitably. “It feels increasingly like the risk-reward balance for commodity production is becoming skewed against us,” he added. “It’s inherently unpredictable and likely to get more so, prompting farmers to explore other ways to secure income. If there’s an opportunity to get a 30-year commitment to pay for restoring a habitat, it would be a win-win for the environment and for farmers. “It’s very early days for BNG, but we’ve always been keen on conservation at Iford and this is potentially a fantastic opportunity.” CLM farm and environment consultant Anthony Weston believes BNG will provide a huge opportunity over the coming decades for farmers and landowners, particularly in the South East, with so much housebuilding and infrastructure development due to take place. “The precise way the market will operate is yet to crystallise, but farmers might ultimately find themselves dealing directly with developers, probably though their agents/advisers, or with a government body, local authority or other organisation running a trading platform, which connects developers keen to source BNG to

landowners wishing to provide it,” he said. “Many rural businesses are seizing this moment to have a fundamental rethink of how they manage their assets – whether that’s land, property or people – with farm incomes under pressure and Covid-19 focusing minds on the need for change. “A huge variety of work could potentially be paid for under BNG; everything from hedgerow planting, wetland creation and heathland restoration to management practices to encourage rare flower species, cultivating breeding territories for rare birds and planting nectar-rich species to benefit insects.” There were 87 applications to take part in the pilots, with the successful ones demonstrating “the biggest opportunity for biodiversity net gain, natural capital benefits and strategic landscape connectivity,” according to Natural England. “They have a good geographical spread and each is seeking to create and enhance a wide range of habitats,” a statement from the organisation said. “Input from landowners will make an invaluable contribution to the development of the scheme. “The potential positive impact from BNG is significant, as it signals a move beyond a 'no net loss' of biodiversity stemming from development to one of a positive increase.” The first recommendations from the pilots could be published as early as March 2021.

WHAT ARE BIODIVERSITY CREDITS?

Under new rules, developers who can’t improve biodiversity on site will be able to buy biodiversity units to meet their statutory requirements, perhaps as credits from a national Biodiversity Credits Scheme. The purchase of the credits will fund habitat provision projects. Natural England is leading the design and delivery of the scheme, which could be in place as early as spring 2023. CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

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WYN GRANT

A NEW PRESIDENT, US TRADE AND BREXIT

What will the Biden presidency mean for the trade deal with the United States and for Brexit more generally? One thing that is clear is that it will not proceed as quickly as it would have done in the absence of a change of administration. There are a number of reasons why this is the case. First, Joe Biden has made it clear that the emphasis in the early phase of his presidency will be on domestic issues, specifically the Covid-19 pandemic. International trade will not be a priority. Second, a new administration means a change of personnel. A new US Trade Representative will need to be appointed to run what is in effect the US’s Department of International Trade, and that will take at least two months after the inauguration. Once that person has been approved by the Senate, they will need to work out their strategy. Trade relations with China will be an early priority. It is the case that there have been quite detailed technical negotiations between the UK and the US, and it is understood that draft chapters of a potential agreement have been mapped out. However, the issues have always been political rather than technical. If there is political agreement, the legal language to fulfil it can be provided. The biggest obstacle here is the effect of Brexit on the Good Friday agreement, about which Joe Biden, who identifies strongly with his Irish heritage, has expressed concern. Asked a question by a BBC reporter, he replied: “BBC? I’m Irish.” Ireland is also a concern for the House of Representatives, which would have to approve any agreement and which still has a Democrat majority. It is unlikely that a UK–US deal will be reached before the president’s 'fast track' authority to sign trade deals (formally Trade Promotion Authority, TPA) expires on 1 July 2021. Its absence makes the congressional approval procedure much longer and more troublesome. Biden may find that he has more important things on which to use his limited capital with Congress than trying to renew TPA. Even if an agreement were reached, there is no reason to suppose that it would be any more favourable to UK agriculture than one reached under President Trump. Nick Clegg claims that Joe Biden said to him “very unsentimentally – in that folksy way he does – ‘We are not going to sign anything that the chicken farmers of Delaware don’t like!’” Delaware is one of the largest chicken producing states in the US

Wyn Grant is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Warwick and author of books and articles on agriculture including The Common Agricultural Policy.

and the product is washed with chlorine. Joe Biden’s personal links with chicken farmers aside, there are more fundamental reasons why any agreement is likely to favour US agricultural interests. Unlike the UK, where DEFRA has a multitude of tasks and does not necessarily treat farming as a priority, the US Department of Agriculture is a powerful department with a focus on farming that has the lead on the agricultural dimension of trade negotiations. It is not yet known who the new Agriculture Secretary will be, but they are likely to have some kind of farm industry background. They will be backed up by the agriculture committees in each house of the Congress that usually have a preponderance of members from areas that have significant

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

agricultural businesses, while the agribusiness lobby remains strong. In summary, any agreement that is reached will reflect US agricultural interests, particularly given the willingness of the UK to make sacrifices on agriculture to make gains elsewhere. As far as Brexit more generally is considered, Biden has made it clear that he thinks it was a historic mistake and he would have voted against it if he could have done. There is wider disappointment in the US because the UK could be relied upon to bring a perspective to EU discussions that took account of American viewpoints. However, Brexit will be completed one way or another before Joe Biden is inaugurated and his views are likely to be peripheral to any subsequent discussions between the UK and the EU.

Horticultural Product Specialist Hutchinsons specialist Horticultural Team advises on all types of top and soft fruit, hops, vines, ornamentals and other horticultural crops, both protected and outdoor. We are passionate about helping our customers realise their full business potential by providing the best independent agronomic and crop production expertise. As part of our commitment to support growers to produce great crops, we supply a wide range of sundry items including orchard and vineyard supports, pruning equipment, harvest, spraying and PPE supplies, plant covers, netting, pots, trays and substrates. We are now looking to recruit a Horticultural Products Specialist to support our national team with these products for use in the fruit, hop, vineyard and commercial horticulture sectors. Good product knowledge linked to a desire to provide great customer service is required. Energetic and motivated, you will be responsible for driving the business forward through direct sales and supporting the team.

Creative and enthusiastic, you will be involved in marketing activities to increase our market penetration and client awareness. Ambitious for growth, you will be supported by our national logistics network and existing suppliers across the complete range of horticultural sundry products. Creating long term relationships with customers and suppliers will be key; as will working with our internal team to manage product purchasing, stock levels and deliveries. If you have experience in one or more of the sectors above and are looking for a new challenge in this exciting business then please get in touch. For a confidential discussion, please call: Mike Hutchinson Horticultural Director, Hutchinsons on 07831 745252. Alternatively, email your CV and covering letter to cynthia.oxford@hlhltd.co.uk.

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(Closing Date 30th January 2021)

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MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

THE LAST THING YOU WANT

IS A ROAD RUNNER

It was one of those ‘rush about’ mornings. I tried to suppress an underlying feeling of anxiety, while acting cool, calm and collected. I needed to function efficiently as today we had our TB test. A day when an inner strength is required and keeping your wits about you is essential. First things first, the chickens needed to be let out, fed and watered. On my way back to the house with an armful of eggs I met a four month-old calf with its tail up, scampering full tilt towards open fields. I managed to turn it back in the direction of the cattle sheds. An escapee before we’d even started didn’t bode well. I was relieved to see Nigel securing our entrance gates; the last thing you want is a road runner. I quickly deposited the eggs and hurried up to the buildings, where cattle were being batched up in readiness for guiding down the race. The errant animal was persuaded to rejoin its group. Our extra helper eyed up our straw store on

arrival and greeted us with the words: “If you got rid of your cattle and sold your straw, you’d be a lot better off.” Hmmm… Straw might be fetching ridiculous prices, but where would be the pleasure in empty sheds? Indeed, in order to conserve our supplies, we’ve only just housed our cattle. In fact one group of stores we led into the shed on the morning of the test, which I thought was risky. We’re not alone. I understand that over-wintering cattle in woods is also being tried, and I’ll be interested to know how that works out. The vet arrived on schedule and the cows and calves on the home farm behaved well. Even our Angus Bull, Rosemead Emperor, co-operated; he actually allowed us to close the headstock, which is most unusual. We don’t tend to argue with him, as I have some grim past memories from A&E of attending to injuries caused by a bull. Putting it politely, our store cattle were lively, so I was glad of our mobile handling system, which

> Hazel’s artwork on our user-friendly hen house

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

is considerably safer than our previous set up. My only criticism is the noise level, with the clanking of the galvanised doors tending to hype up the cattle. Prior to results day I’m going to apply some grease. Our task was completed two hours faster than the vet had expected, so consequently she had to bring forward her next appointment. Good teamwork can be fun, especially in these times of isolation. I’m hoping the cattle go clear of TB and we avoid catching Covid-19. Regarding the pandemic, I don’t envy the politicians trying to make the right decisions. Whatever they do won’t be right for everyone. But I think New Zealand’s prime minister’s actions are admirable, cutting her own and ministers’ pay “to express solidarity” with people facing pay cuts and redundancy. Boris Johnson should take note. Our spaniels are slightly bemused by the turn of events this winter. They worked their socks off for a few days, and now despite the abundance of

pheasants around, the whistle and the beating stick are untouched. The dogs are perplexed. At first they were happy to have a few ‘duvet days’ to recuperate, but now they look at us, questioning our wisdom in being so neglectful. I’m sure they’ll enjoy the lifting of lockdown. Brie, our sheepdog, is relieved that she’s not getting the blame for the most recent vandalism to Shrek (ATV). In fact she feels exonerated from her previous misdemeanour, now we realise she was only trying to catch the real villains. The battery went flat; we charged it up, but it only lasted two days. Exasperated, I demanded we replace the battery. All was well, but three days later the indicators stopped working and the battery died again. Mice had developed a passion for wiring, chewing through the battery charging and indicator leads. I was fascinated by what we found in the mouse nest, located next to the battery. Turns out mice love a bit of sparkle and they’ve even taken up writing: Mice memoirs – how to successfully wind up Brie. They had stowed a miniature silver pen and its string which had originally been attached to a tiny notebook in which I noted down ear tag numbers. It had mysteriously disappeared and had been recycled into mice bedding. The brightly coloured balloons that I retrieve from the countryside and stow behind the seat had also been relocated and recycled. Recently Hannah asked me to work Brie with her while Nigel took some photos and video. I agreed.

Next a brightly coloured parcel turned up? “Oh that’s our clothes to wear,” exclaimed Hannah. I never dreamed that at retirement age, I’d be modelling clothes alongside my daughter-in-law. Something to add to my CV, I guess. The clothes were all made of wool, so I was super happy to be promoting these. I loved the leg warmers, so cosy, especially as they colour co-ordinated with my yellow wellies which I’m particularly fond of; a rebel amongst green wellies. I’m looking forward to chicken moving day. We’re converting an old ATV trailer into a hen house. I’ve vowed to create a more user-friendly version. In the past we’ve had an assortment of dilapidated hen houses, impossible to move and difficult to keep clean. Static ones attract vermin and red mite. Ideally I’d like to let the chickens properly roam free. This strategy is flawed as it’s unlikely that foxes and badgers will turn vegan, or that we will become hot shots. Permanent runs become muddy in no time at all. Hence electric poultry netting, combined with our newly constructed, easily moveable, pressure washerable hut will, I hope, be the answer. I asked Hazel to brighten it up with some art work. I think she did a good job. Hazel also came up trumps this week by producing our first very cute granddaughter – Anna. Can’t wait for cuddles, post lockdown. Wishing all readers a happy, healthy, Merry Christmas.

> Mice like a bit of sparkle in their nest – and a pen

> Our first Granddaughter – Anna > Calving continues

> Tilley is having a ‘duvet day’

> Floss is chill’n on the sofa – waiting for the pheasant season to re-start

> Brie played a major role in the film promoting woollen clothes

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

SOUTH OF ENGLAND FARMING CONFERENCE WITH THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSOR

Agriculture’s ambitious plans to take the lead on tackling climate change were highlighted at this year’s South of England Agricultural Society’s (SEAS) farming conference. The conference, which attracted a healthy online audience, was charged with considering whether or not UK agriculture could achieve a ‘net zero’ position on carbon in less than 20 years from now, and gave a generally upbeat response to the question. It was NFU President Minette Batters, one of an impressive line-up of speakers brought together for the event, who reminded the virtual audience that the 2040 target – ten years ahead of the Government’s own 2050 deadline – had been put forward by, rather than being imposed upon, the industry. She recalled that the earlier target had been agreed at the 2019 Oxford Farming Conference, adding that the announcement had “woken up” then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove, that year’s headline speaker. A number of the speakers at the SEAS conference, expertly chaired by BBC presenter Charlotte Smith, pointed out that as well as being a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, UK agriculture was also in a strong position to come up with innovative ways of capturing carbon and reducing the amount of gasses released to the atmosphere. There was also considerable debate around farmers’ and landowers’ ability to measure their net

UK AGRICULTURE IN A

STRONG POSITION

carbon impact on the environment, with no agreed mechanism in place to calculate the true figure. Organic farmer and Nuffield Scholar Tim May, managing director of Kingsclere Estates, was particularly outspoken on the issue, pointing out that without a robust way of calculating carbon emissions, the industry could hit the target simply by manipulating the figures. Another Nuffield Scholar, Doug Wanstall, who is working hard both to reduce the impact of his own

farming practices and to help others through his Re-Generation Earth business, was clear on what was needed: “If a carbon market is to develop, we need a recognised way of benchmarking,” he stressed. Ms Batters, who opened the conference, welcomed the Government’s decision to strengthen the role of the Trade and Agriculture Commission following a one million signature petition earlier this year. She said it was “crucial” to the net zero campaign for future trade deals to be sanctioned by

WHAT DOES NET ZERO MEAN? Balance between all GHG emissions and removals in the annual cycle of agricultural production systems Emissions of GHG to the atmosphere.

Sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere.

• N Fertiliser (N2O) • Livestock Enteric Fermentation and Manure (CH4 & N2O) • Energy, Fuel (CO2)

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GHG REMOVALS

the commission. She added that “climate smart farming” was good for the industry, for the economy and for the environment and said that while 10% of the UK’s carbon emissions came from agriculture, farming acted as “both a source and a sink”. Farmers and landowners had been reactive for too long and now had a chance to lead the agenda, she added. Ms Batters said farming needed to look at efficiency and productivity, finding ways to increase food production but doing so sustainably, using fewer inputs and reducing the impact on the environment. It also needed to look at ways of capturing more carbon, such as by planting more trees and hedges, she said. Offering a vision of the UK as a world leader in climate change, Ms Batters said that leaving the EU was an opportunity for “smarter regulations” rather than fewer of them, and said the Environmental Land Management scheme would “definitely shape the future” by incentivising farmers to improve their practices. In response to a question on promoting organic food, though, she said incentives were not the way forward and that growth in that sector needed to be market driven. Otherwise, she said, any subsidy would just lower prices. Tim May stressed that farmers and landowners needed to look at their whole system rather than just focusing on a single issue, such as lowering their carbon footprint. He moved the 1000ha Kingsclere Estate in 2013 from predominantly arable to an organic mixed farming model which includes chickens, dairy, quinoa, pigs and sheep, aiming to use outputs from one area to support another in a ‘circular farming’ system. “You can see it as a dung heap or as somewhere to grow pumpkins,” he commented. Doug Wanstall’s Re-Generation Earth initiative acts as “a conduit between those companies and individuals that wish to take responsibility for their effect on the planet and those landowners that can do something about it”. The Ashford farmer also farms 1,100 acres of arable land and runs a free-

range egg operation with 50,000 laying hens. “We need to work with nature rather than against it,” he said, adding that being “sustainable” was not enough. “We need to be regenerative and resilient,” he explained, adding that UK farmers and landowners needed to be the backbone of the country’s new approach to tackling climate change. Pointing out that his own farm currently sequesters 4,000 more tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) than it emits annually, he stressed the need for a carbon market and asked: “Who will pay for sequestered carbon?” He also suggested that growth in livestock should go hand-in-hand with increases in arable acreage so that nutrients could be used to improve the soil rather than being wasted or, in extreme cases, polluting watercourses. Other suggested ways of reducing farming’s impact on the environment included growing more legumes, minimum tillage systems and reducing the use of nitrogen. The final speaker, Head of Sustainability at Map of Ag Hugh Martineau, said he believed agriculture could achieve net zero but wondered how long the industry could keep it there. He pointed out that while agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions had remained relatively stable over the past 28 years, other sectors, particularly energy supply, had cut their emissions significantly. Mr Martineau joined the calls for better measurement tools, saying the industry needed “accurate and consistent protocols for carbon stock change measurement”. The speakers all agreed that gene editing to breed new plant strains was set to become an important new tool in the fight to cut greenhouse gas emissions, with Doug Wanstall suggesting there was a “bright future” for the technology in the UK. Summing up the event, conference organiser and SEAS-sponsored Nuffield Scholar Duncan Rawson said: "The over-riding message was clear – the industry can achieve net zero by 2040, but it will require farmers to adopt new practices and government support that incentivises the right behaviours."

TAX ADVANTAGES

Chartered Accountants Richard Place Dobson LLP have pointed out that there can be considerable tax advantages for farmers looking to reduce their carbon emissions. Partner Philip Hentsch pointed out: “One of the major advantages is that a farmer who trades as a limited company and carries out an innovative project with the aim of enhancing their business, in this case becoming carbon neutral, can make a ‘research and development’ claim that could give them an additional tax relief of up to 130% of their qualifying R & D expenditure alongside the 100% standard tax relief. “In addition, capital allowances may also be available on qualifying capital expenditure.” For further advice contact Philip Hentsch or Daisy De Baerdemaecker at Richard Place Dobson LLP Chartered Accountants on 01444 892010

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SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

FORESTRY IN

> SAWN AND SHORN

Nigel Akehurst visits Copford Farm and Sawmill on the outskirts of Waldron, East Sussex, to meet farmerturned timber sawmiller Alex Gingell.

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THE SOUTH EAST

CAP UNCERTAINTY & LAND USE CHANGE

In my many discussions with clients and their agents, the uncertainty around future funding streams in the Post Brexit and CAP world is very much on their minds, writes Graham Taylor of Pryor & Rickett Silviculture. Making decisions in any land-based business in uncertain times is hard; seeing into the future is exceptionally hard. An absence of clarity on what will follow with the long-awaited ELMS support is sadly creating inertia and indecision for many. The impact of the major changes to Basic Payment arrangements will be huge on certain parts of the farming sector but it remains unclear in all of this as to which direction to go for many farm businesses. For the first time in my 30-year career, our clients are asking deep questions about land use: • What balance of arable/pasture and/or woodland will be right for my farm business? • What natural capital provision will I be paid for? • How will I make it work? My instinctive response to all clients with that question is not to look at grant support but to take a long hard look at what the land itself is doing for you, with subsidies removed. As foresters we have long been used to utilising and growing forestry stands on the most difficult land (wet/steep/heavy and or thin/lean soil types). In fact, UK forestry has built a highly successful and profitable industry out of it. In many cases the land which is least useful for a farming operation will offer good yields from traditional forestry crops, with the benefit of requiring few ‘inputs’ and early establishment costs covered mainly by taxpayer support. Those landholders with good foresight are already making significant and strategic changes on the balance of their holding based on weaker agriculture and shifting such areas to new productive carbon woodlands. The long-term yields on offer are very good for those who make the right species choices. While forestry is long term in nature, the accruing crop values do offer very healthy and currently tax-free returns for landowners willing to take a generational view of wealth creation, while the prospects for increasing value of timber as a commodity (already at an all-time high) are making

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the prospects for significant long term accrual of value even more real. Carbon payments also neatly fill the loss of agricultural income from the land. New woodland creation not only offers a whole host of natural capital benefits, it also offers the farmer some distinct farming benefits: • Shelter – trees and woodland have been shown to enhance the growth of crops in adjacent fields by reducing transpiration and also significantly reduce exposure for livestock • Diffuse pollution mitigation – buffering watercourses against fertiliser and pesticide outflow • Enhanced property amenity – adding value to the capital value of the farm • Sporting benefits – providing additional game cover and increasing drive options. While land use change does cost money, this is recognised within the current support mechanism, which encourages the planting of new woodland for a whole range of natural capital and income production gains.

CURRENT NEW FORESTRY PLANTING SUPPORT MECHANISMS COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP

Opportunities to support tree planting are available through Countryside Stewardship, where grants of up to £6,800/ha are currently available to help pay for the planting of a woodland. In addition, a maintenance grant of £200/ha/ per annum is also payable for 10 years to help establish the woodland through careful weeding and maintenance. Existing basic payment scheme arrangements are unaffected by choosing the woodland option.

CARBON SALES

For several years, the voluntary carbon offsetting markets have been slightly opaque. In a bid to create greater clarity for carbon buyers, the UK Government, through the Forestry Commission, has launched the Woodland Carbon Auction Guarantee scheme (WCAG). This twice-yearly auction allows applicants to propose projects which are assessed under the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC). Using the WCC assessment tool, an applicant works out how much carbon (Provisional Issuance Units – PIUs) the project is likely to offset over the first 30 years of a

INTRODUCTION BY: planting’s life. An applicant may then submit the project into the WCAG via the auction platform. The platform allows applicants to bid competitively into the auction for a government contract that provides a guarantee on future carbon that would be delivered from the planting over time. The payments are paid on successful verification of Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs). The auction is a reverse auction, much like the UK Government bond auctions, and lowest bidders secure the contracts. While prices have varied depending on carbon profile delivery of projects, the WCAG mechanism provides the crucial income gap while a young forest is developing. This income gap between planting and the start of thinning income from 20 to 30 years into a crop’s life has always been the Achilles heel of forestry. WCAG is one of several ways of selling carbon to the market currently. While successful applicants have the guarantee of a government-backed contract, all project holders are able to sell their carbon to third parties at any stage through the lifetime of the contract.

WOODLAND MANAGEMENT – CHALARA AND TIMBER MARKETS

Since Chalara (ash dieback) arrived in the South East in 2012, it was always likely that it would wreak unfortunate impacts on ash trees in the > New

Maintenance grant of £200/ha/ per annum for 10 years to help establish the woodland

Grants of up to £6,800/ha available to help pay for the planting of a woodland

countryside. From an increase in roadside tree risk to wholesale decline of ash stands in forests, the evidence was available for those who wanted to find out. Initially many people ‘watched and waited’ in slight disbelief that their ash trees were going to succumb to the disease. For many, sadly, their optimism has been shown to be misplaced as increasingly large numbers of trees have shown themselves prone to infection and have suffered increasing levels of dieback. Sadly, as ash is not a durable timber species, once trees become infected many then succumb to secondary fungal infection such as Armillaria (honey fungus), leaving the trees weakened and prone to uncontrollable collapse and breakdown. While in a field corner well away from the public this is less of a problem, on a road edge or adjacent to property

this creates a significant public liability risk and requires mitigation. Meanwhile with much of the forestry harvesting infrastructure now busily harvesting infected ash, the long-anticipated glut of firewood and ash biomass is beginning to shape up. Market conditions are changing in response to oversupply, with firewood buyers becoming more selective on specification and pricing and a greater volume heading for biomass facilities across the region. While it is not too late, the biological decline caused by the disease is accelerating a market decline for the product. Woodland owners with ash to deal with need to ‘get a move on’ if further losses are to be avoided.

STOP PRESS

DEFRA has just released the Path to Sustainable Farming: An Agricultural Transition Plan 20212024. This outlines reductions of between 50% and 70% of BPS payments between 2021 and 2024. The Government support saved will be re-directed into a Sustainable Farming Incentive and a range of targeted support mechanisms including landscape-scale woodland and forestry creation. There is an ancient Chinese proverb which says the best time to plant a tree (or forest) is 10 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is now.

carbon planting

GRAHAM TAYLOR

MBE FICFor, Managing Director, Pryor & Rickett Silviculture T: 01432 851311 E: mail@silviculture.co.uk www.silviculture.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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COPFORD SAW MILL

SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

SAWN AND SHORN

Nigel Akehurst visits Copford Farm and Sawmill on the outskirts of Waldron, East Sussex, to meet farmer-turned timber sawmiller Alex Gingell. Copford Farm and Sawmill on the outskirts of Waldron, East Sussex, is home to the Gingell family and two distinct enterprises; a traditional sheep and cattle business and a successful static sawmill. “I’ve got two lads, Ed, who is involved with the farm and Harry, who has joined me and is now running the sawmill,” said Alex. He also has a daughter Becky, who is married and works for the NFU Mutual. Trading in timber since 1987, Alex and Gina have gradually built up the sawmill business over 30-plus years and now employ five full-time staff. The mainstay is milling locally sourced oak logs into beams for the local construction industry, which accounts for about 60% of their business. They also produce cladding and dry boards, which makes up the remainder of their work. Harry has been instrumental in building up the business since joining it about ten years ago, having previously served in the Army for six years. Alex’s other son, Ed, runs the 120-acre home farm on a share farming agreement, looking after the flock of 200 Romney breeding ewes and a small suckler herd of 10 cows and followers. Ed also runs his own flock of 280 commercial Mules and this autumn purchased a small flock of 50 pure bred Texels. In addition to the family farm, he rents another 200 acres of permanent pasture in the local area. All his lambs are finished off grass or turnips and sold through Hailsham Livestock Market. He also runs his own shearing and scanning business – Shearbliss – shearing around 50,000 sheep locally between May and October. I asked how Covid-19 impacted the sector this year: “Everyone was very worried we wouldn’t manage without the Kiwis,” he replied. His usual shearing team, Alex and wife Freedom, weren’t able to fly over, forcing Ed to find help closer to home. In May he was joined by a Welsh team, as

they don’t start shearing until later in the year, as he explained. After they left he was joined by some local shearers. “It provided a good opportunity to get the local lads on the stand,” he said. He was impressed with how they performed and plans to give them first dibs next year. Through the winter, Ed carries out sheep scanning services and has steadily improved his percentage year-on-year since starting out five years ago. Last year he scanned nearly 30,000 sheep between November and February. Despite much uncertainty surrounding sheep farming, Ed remains optimistic about lamb prices for next year, pointing to strong store prices at market. >> “There is talk of very strong lamb trade in the spring,” he added.

COPFORD SAW MILL We specialise in the supply of fresh sawn English Hardwoods. With our onsite mills we can supply beams and cladding to your requirements. We also stock a continually changing selection of locally sourced Kiln dried live edge timbers

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Tel: 01435 813472 www.copfordsawmill.co.uk Email: alex.gingell@btinternet.com

Copford Farm, Dern Lane, Horam, Nr Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 0PN

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES > Alex

Gingell

FARMING BACKGROUND

Alex grew up with his two brothers on the family’s mixed farm in Wadhurst, East Sussex. He spent eight years working on the farm before escaping to a small tenanted farm in Buxted. Struggling to rear a young family and pay a big rent on the farm, Alex began helping a tree surgeon, using the wood to make gates for farmers. He soon started hiring a mobile Wood-mizer saw himself, carrying out contract wood processing in the local area in the aftermath of the 1987 hurricane. In 1990 the opportunity arose to buy his farm; he agreed a mortgage with an old-fashioned bank manager. Once the deal was completed, Alex asked him if he would lend him an additional £13,000 to buy his own mobile Wood-mizer. After Alex explained that one day’s hire a month would cover the interest, his bank manager gladly agreed. “I was roughly 40 when I bought my first Wood-mizer and so keen to have something that earned me good money,” he said. With growing demand for his mobile milling services, Alex would get up early to carry out his farm jobs before travelling to the big estates like Knepp Castle and South Lodge in West Sussex to cut wood. “We could cut ten times the amount of timber compared to older fashioned saws,” he said.

BUYING COPFORD FARM AND SETTING UP A STATIC SAWMILL

24 > All

the offcuts and waste wood is chipped by Josh Penrose of Penrose Contracting

FARM FACTS

• 120 acre family farm, mainly down to grass with some woodland. • On-site static sawmill with two saws, employing five full-time staff producing mainly oak beams for the local construction sector. Also produces cladding and dryboards. • First sawmill in Europe to purchase a wood-mizer WM1000 saw capable of cutting logs up to 1.7m diameter in the centre. • Received LEADER funding to help create a new, more accessible timber yard, completed in 2019. • On-farm workshop let to Dave Green of High Weald Furniture, who makes benches and signs for the National Trust and private commissions. Photo ©Lucy Carnaghan

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In 1992 they sold his Buxted farm and bought Copford Farm, a 100 acre holding on the outskirts of Waldron. The farm was considered unattractive because there was a separate chicken broiler enterprise on-site which continued to operate. This meant they got a good deal on the price, and when that business closed down some years later, they were able to purchase the additional 20 acres and have since converted the 400 sq. ft of buildings to cattle and sheep housing. The next step was setting up a static mill on the farm, as Alex became less enthusiastic about travelling away for work. “It just slowly evolved – I gave up the mobile milling and became a static mill and orders just kept coming in,” he said.

COPFORD SAW MILL “We’re lucky to be in an area of Great Britain that for hundreds of years has been using oak as a building material and a lot of people want that traditional look,” he added. The business is now well known in the local area as established timber specialists, supplying timber mainly to builders for oak frame extensions, garages and garden gazebos. In addition, they machine and supply cladding to builders and dryboards to furniture makers. Both Alex and Harry love seeing the finished product and are proud of some high profile commissions, which include timber for the 2012 Olympics crosscountry horse trials, a narrowboat that was part of the Jubilee flotilla, rebuilding a waterwheel in a Welsh village for a TV programme and several archaeological projects in East Sussex. You can see some more images on their website (www.copfordsawmill.co.uk) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Copford-sawmill)

SOURCING LOCAL TIMBER AND EXPANSION

Alex sources his timber locally, mostly from Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and very occasionally further afield, but nothing is imported, he said. The sawmill deals directly with forestry agents who manage woodlands and obtain the felling licences from the forestry commission, fell the timber and then transport it to the roadside ready for collection. Alex then buys this timber by bidding on job lots or per cubic foot at roadside. If successful, they then hire a grab lorry to collect the logs. Typically there needs to be a lorry load of 20-plus trees to make it worthwhile, he said, explaining that good tree management is the key to maximising the value of the timber. Oak trees grown commercially require a first thinning at 30 to 40 years and a second thinning at around 70 years, when they become usable for oak beams. They may then require a third thinning at 100 years plus. I asked what sort of price a landowner could expect for an oak tree. He told me that a really big parkland oak (three feet wide) could be worth £1,000, though most are between £150 and £600. While oak accounts for the bulk of the work, the business also sources a small amount of larch, western red cedar and elm timber, mostly for cladding, which makes up around 15% of the business. The mill currently holds around 2,500 cubic feet of logs at any time, and >>

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SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

<< a fair number of these are of large diameter. Bigger logs tend to be better quality and are more expensive. In 2011, a second, larger capacity sawmill was purchased to keep pace with increasing demand, with Alex operating the existing static Wood-mizer LT40 and Harry operating the new WM1000. The saw can cut logs up to 1.7m diameter in the centre and was originally designed to meet the demand for a cost-effective machine to saw tropical hardwood logs in Asia and Africa. Copford was the

COPFORD SAW MILL

first sawmill in Europe to purchase one and it is proving its worth cutting large diameter oak. In 2013, Wood-Mizer sent a team to interview Alex and Harry and shoot a short video about the mill and the new WM1000, which is available to watch on YouTube.

NEW SHOWROOM

Alex has recently completed a new office which doubles as a showroom and has been clad in some of the more popular options available. They have also used the dryboards they produce for desk space and shelving.

DRYBOARDS

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As well as the oak beams and planks, Copford also holds some stocks of English hardwoods, including ash, elm and yew, which are all air dried before entering their on-site kiln. Hardwoods typically need one to three years of air drying before a month in the dehumidifier kiln at 30°C. The boards should then be down to about 12% moisture to match the indoor conditions of a house.

WOODCHIP

Nothing goes to waste at Copford Farm. All the offcuts and residue wood is chipped by Josh Penrose of Penrose Contracting Ltd, based in Chiddingly. Josh then dries and screens the wood chip to ensure it meets selling guidelines for high quality biofuel for biomass boilers in the local area. “It’s a huge advantage having Alex’s sawmill on my doorstep,” he said. “The slab wood supplements the coppice and hedgerow timber I chip in this area.” He added that Alex had been extremely helpful over the years with his forestry business and is currently working with him to supply all the milled timber to rebuild a 700 year-old farmhouse on his family farm.

ON COVID-19

Other than closing for two days when lockdown first began, Copford quickly reopened once it became clear that the construction sector was allowed to keep going. They also saw an increase in demand for oak sleepers, with more DIY customers looking to improve their back gardens during lockdown.

THE FUTURE

The future at Copford Farm and Sawmill looks bright. Alex has achieved what many farmers only dream of doing - to build a sustainable family business. He has created opportunities for both his sons and demonstrated that diversified small farms can turn a healthy profit and provide jobs for local people.

GAIN INCOME FROM YOUR

WOODLAND CARBON These are exciting times for landowners in the UK. If you own a farm that you, and possibly generations before you, have owned and tended, you could well have already dismissed as ‘not applicable to me’ the myriad of advertisements extolling the virtues of converting farmland into woodland without quite realising that the message can indeed apply to you. It could possibly even help you more easily manage an even better ﬂock or crop. What is more, the financial benefits of planting trees could help you prosper further. You don’t have to sell your farm or make the latest generation of livestock your last in order to make money from trees. Trees can thrive on land that doesn’t quite have the required star qualities that a farm business needs, that area of a farm that just won’t grow a decent crop or has never provided a reasonable bite for livestock. This is the area that you can convert from a loss leader to a winner in terms of bringing in that extra bit of income, particularly as you can now take advantage of selling woodland

carbon units to companies looking to offset their carbon emissions. The Woodland Carbon Code provides that vital link between companies who have calculated their annual emissions and wish to do something about them and land owners, farmers in particular, who have the land and can sell the woodland carbon units the companies need to purchase in order to help offset their carbon. There really is no better time to plant trees than today, and there really has never been a better time to gain an income from tree planting on land that is not currently realising its true potential.

DAVID MCCULLOCH

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SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

Turning a potential problem into an incomegenerating opportunity can come down to something as simple as making the right call to the right business. Where a landowner with potentially dangerous trees overhanging an adjacent road will see a potential health and safety nightmare, the team at South East Forestry can often see an opportunity to put the timber to good use and pay the owner for the privilege. But while turning trees into timber might appear relatively straightforward, it needs an expert eye and a well-established network of buyers, particularly when the stand involved is challenging to harvest. Step forward Jonathan Davies and business partner Dave Holmes, the experts behind the South East Forestry operation that has established an unbeatable reputation for handling even the most difficult forestry operations. The two men, working with veteran woodsman Martin Henderson, were recently brought in to tackle a particularly tricky roadside site at Kemsing, in Kent, which other contractors had turned down as being too difficult to handle. With a number of trees suffering from ash dieback, others leaning out across the road at angles that made mechanical harvesting impossible and a long length of road frontage to cope with, it was a site that needed a specialist approach. Fortunately, the two hectare site stretched back a fair way and contained some better timber, allowing the Staplehurst-based South East Forestry

TURNING TREES

INTO TIMBER team to recoup some of their costs while using their expertise to safely remove the roadside trees before any dangerous and potentially costly falls. “This is a break even site,” Jonathan explained. “If this were longer and thinner, with more difficult roadside trees, we would have to charge the farmer for removing them. On other sites, where there is a more easily accessible stand of good quality timber, we can negotiate a price for purchasing the standing timber. “Because we know our market and have buyers in mind before we even fire up the chainsaw, we can pay the best prices for good timber, while our experience and expertise means we can handle even the most awkward roadside sites and provide the necessary traffic management.” And while cutting down trees can spark an emotional response from passers-by, the practice of coppicing trees and thinning out woodlands is of huge environmental benefit. “When it comes to carbon storage, a wood is a bit like a bucket,” Jonathan explained. “Once it’s full of water, it can’t hold any more, and from an

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environmental perspective it’s done its job. Old and dead trees can’t store any more carbon, whereas if you replace them with new saplings you are creating a brand new carbon sink. Managed woodlands are much better at tackling climate change.” While the awkwardly leaning roadside trees are safely cleared using chain saws operated by one of the skilled team, the bulk of the timber is removed by a mechanical harvester that has been heavily adapted to tackle hardwood, and then moved to a roadside collection point by a forwarder before being taken off to its final destination. Nothing is wasted. With valuable timber such as the thinnings from oak woodlands, Jonathan will have already lined up customers who will use it for furniture or construction, keeping the carbon locked up forever. Because South East Forestry has its own large, well-equipped yard, the remainder can be stored until the company can find an end user for it, leaving the cleared area tidy. Trees with defects can have the best timber salvaged and re-used, while the rest is added to the firewood stock. “We always

FEATURED COMPANY:

UTH

EAST

FORESTRY ARE LOOKING TO PURCHASE LARGE QUANTITIES OF STANDING TIMBER

> From left: Dave Holmes, Martin Henderson, Jon Davies. South East Forestry, coppice an area of woodland, close to a road near Kemsing, Sevenoaks make the best use of as much of the timber as possible, which is why we can pay the best prices for woodland,” Jonathan explained. “Knowing what is economically viable is vital to the success of the operation from the landowner’s perspective as well as ours, so we make sure that well before we arrive on site, we know who will be buying many of the trees we fell and what they will be used for.” The price is not just fair but fixed, since South East Forestry factors in any unusable or rotten trees before agreeing the deal. Landowners are often pleasantly surprised by the return they can make on an asset they didn’t really know they had. “They bring us in to tackle trees that are old and potentially dangerous, particularly if they are near a road, and discover that they can actually make money overall because of the better quality timber in the same block,” Jonathan explained.

Working across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, South East Forestry is keen to talk to landowners and farmers with standing woodlands of a hectare or more containing oak, sweet chestnut, ash, sycamore, silver birch and all other hard and soft woods. The business, which has built up a good relationship with the Forestry Commission and local authorities over many years and arranges all the necessary felling licences, offers a free site appraisal, walking the site with the owner to discuss what is possible and agree a plan of action. “Although we take care of all the licences and other planning issues, dealing with the Forestry Commission can take time, particularly during the pandemic, so we would urge landowners who are looking to thin woodland or get rid of dangerous trees to contact us in good time,” Jonathan added.

Unmanaged woodland? Overstood coppice falling over? Timber growth stopped due to too much competition? South East Forestry can provide ﬁnancial returns from unmanaged, neglected and managed woodland We are looking to purchase large volumes of woodland grown standing timber. • All hardwood species sought • Species of particular interest: Oak – Ash – Sweet Chestnut Walnut – Hornbeam –Sycamore... • All softwood species sought • Felling licences arranged by ourselves • Grant assisted work carried out

South East Forestry: We buy – We fell – We sell timber

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

Call John Davies on 01580 819179 or 07759 567801 www.southeastforestry.co.uk

SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

FINDING NEW NICHES 30

A family agricultural business that has excelled in maximising new opportunities over the years has built up a thriving venture supplying woodchip for biomass boilers. Emsworth, Hampshire-based Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors now supplies close to 5,000 tonnes of woodchip a year to commercial boilers in schools, nurseries, estates and glasshouses within a 40 to 50-mile radius. Delivering quality woodchip now accounts for around one third of the business, set up as an agricultural contracting company by Steve Smith in 1974 and still providing a complete contracting service across a wide swathe of the county. Son Nick, a partner in the family business, explained that it was the desire to keep providing a top quality service to local farmers that led to the setting up of the woodchip side of the business in the first place. “We had a great team in place and we wanted something that would keep our core workforce busy,” he explained. “Obviously we used a lot of casual

labour in peak summer, but we had four or five men that we wanted to keep hold of all year around, and that meant finding a new income stream.” That extra string to the company’s bow proved so successful that Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors now employs a core team of eight throughout the year and doubles its staff numbers in the summer. “We were always busy until October but wanted something to take us through to the following spring,” Nick recalled. “We went to a conference on wood fuel about seven years ago, when the renewable heat incentive was a big thing, and decided that we would invest in the machinery needed to supply woodchip. Our first customer was a nursery in Chichester and the business has grown steadily since.” Finding new niches has always been part of Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors’ approach. Father Steve left Brinsbury College and helped out

> Nick Smith

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local farmers before buying a hedge trimmer and secondhand tractor and setting up on his own. “He then became the proud owner of the first self-propelled 24m sprayer in the area and that helped bring in plenty of work back then,” said Nick, who was born ten years after the company started. He grew up alongside the thriving business, helping out in his teenage years before joining full time in 2005 after completing a degree in agriculture and crop production at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. While the woodchip arm of the business is a thriving new development, the team is continuing to grow the contracting side, which still looks after a number of farmers who gave Steve his break back in 1974. The company offers the complete range of services, backed up by the skilled and experienced staff that Nick and Steve were so keen to keep together and by an impressive and comprehensive

FEATURED COMPANY:

range of modern and well-maintained machinery. Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors provides full arable, forage harvesting and baling services, as well as share farming close to 1,000 acres of land which they use to grow wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape. “We have had kept some clients for 47 years and we are committed to delivering the best possible service,” said Nick. “When we provide contracting services, we treat the land and the crop as if it were our own – and we know that in this business you are only as good as your last job.” The business offers everything from one-off contracts to a full service on behalf of the landowner. “We have access to expensive machinery that many farmers can’t justify buying just for one project in the middle of the year,” Nick said. “It can often be more cost-effective with something like combining to bring in a contractor.” In other cases, the contractor will do the drilling and combining and leave the farmer to do the spraying and fertilising. “We are completely flexible, but whatever we do, we do to the best of our ability in partnership with the landowner,” Nick added. The top line of the Woodmancote Agricultural Services machinery list includes a Claas 770 combine harvester on tracks and a Claas Jaguar forager, two Bateman RB35 sprayers, four Massey Ferguson balers and 11 tractors. The tractor fleet comprises a mix of New Holland and Massey Ferguson models, a Valtra kitted out

WOODMANCOTE CONTRACTORS

with a roof-mounted crane and a reversible seat for woodland work, and their flagship, a 500hp Fendt 1050 reverse drive with more than enough muscle to power the Austrian-built Mus-Max WT12 chipper. The impressive stable also includes a JCB 541-70 telehandler, a 419s loading shove, JCB 13 ton 360 and a JCB 3CX that is also in demand for digging test holes for soakaways on building sites, giving the business another income stream. The seven figure investment in equipment also includes a formidable line up of hedge trimmers, mowers, ploughs, rakes, drills and trailers, including specialist push-off trailers for the woodchip that is now a significant part of the business plan. “You have to invest in the right machinery to do the job,” Nick stressed. That philosophy has also extended to the woodchip side of the business, which was based on buying rideside cordwood that had been thinned as part of good woodland management, air drying it to approximately 30% moisture and then chipping and delivering it to commercial clients. In a bid to increase demand for the product, the partnership set up Forest Heat Energy, which supplies and installs biomass boilers. While demand has levelled off since government subsidies were reduced, the new company is still operating. As well as supplying quality, graded woodchip for its own customers, Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors began supplying other businesses that >> were also distributing woodchip.

FARM INSURANCE WHERE YOUR OFFICE IS OUR OFFICE We believe it’s better to take the time meeting face to face on a farm, not around a desk. For a real conversation about your insurance call us on 01273 492239.

www.laurencegould.com Chatan A Modi is an appointed representative of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No. 111982).

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A leading firm of independent farm advisors in the South of England for 60 years. Proudly supporting over 250 farms, contracting businesses and cooperatives with business management, grants and environmental scheme applications.

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SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

<< Three years ago the company bought a JCB 360 excavator with a feller buncher sawhead so that the team could cut overstood chestnut and hazel, providing a service to smaller landowners needing help to cut and maintain their woodlands as well as creating a good supply of woodchip. “We don’t undertake large scale forestry, but we provide a useful service in clearing the understorey and overstood trees to allow better access to the rest of the woodland,” Nick said. “Thinning out older trees is also good for the environment and for maintaining woodland, as younger, newer trees are better at taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.” With a large fleet of machinery to look after, Nick enjoys good support from a wide range of dealers right across the Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Claas, New Holland and JCB spectrum. “We get exceptionally good back up from all our dealers but enjoy a particularly good relationship with C&O tractors, the West Sussex Massey dealer, as they are local to us and provide a first class service,” Nick said. Woodmancote Agricultural Services also makes good use of Chichester Grain to handle the cereal crops that the company grows under its share

farming agreements and which also takes a large tonnage of the cereal it harvests under its contract farming operations. “We get a lot of support from the team at C&O and work closely with Chichester Grain,” he said. “We are also well looked after by Bartholomews Agri Food Ltd in Chichester, which provides us with agronomy advice across the share farmed area.” A year ago, Nick obtained a Leader Grant from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development which contributed 40% towards the cost of a timber forwarder, trailer and crane, allowing Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors to extract timber from forest to rideside. The Mus-Max WT12 is the largest tractor-towed chipper on the market and capable of handling timber up to an impressive 900mm in diameter. Towed and powered by the Fendt 1050, it allows the business also to provide a contract wood chipping service to a wide base of clients who need timber chipped for their own boilers or so that they can supply it to other end users. The dry woodchip can be screened if required before being delivered to the customer in one of the company’s Fliegl push-off trailers, allowing it to be taken straight into low barns without the

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need for tipping height. Woodmancote Agricultural Contractors is also one of a handful of companies that offers blown delivery, which means the chip can be put straight into the hopper ready for use, with no need for the customer to move it from a storage heap to the boiler room. In 2018 the company installed its own 350kW biomass boiler with grain drying floors to allow it to dry grain and, if required, wood chip. “We have everything we need to offer the complete service to both the landowner and the end user,” said Nick. “We can cut, forward, chip, remove and then deliver straight into storage using reliable equipment at each stage of the process. While we don’t like to dry woodchip because of the environmental impact, if necessary we can do so with exceptionally wet material.” The growth of the woodchip business is particularly impressive given that the contracting business is also continuing to grow, with Nick and the team currently looking after a total of about 3,200 acres of farmland. “We like to think that we are equally committed to each acre of land we farm, to each landowner whose woodland we help to manage and to each of our woodchip customers,” he concluded.

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Do what you do best & outsource the rest

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To many in our sector, ‘outsourcing’ is a dirty word. It conjures up images of call centres in other countries, poor service and being kept on hold for hours on end. The reality is that when it works well, as with most things, such images are a long way from the truth. The logic to outsourcing is simple, if someone can do something better than you and it delivers more value, you should consider it. Money is not the only factor here, but in an industry like ours that is being squeezed and that must evolve, it is one of the most significant factors. ‘In hand’ farming is the obvious and most fundamental function that has been outsourced in the past 25 years, but we call it ‘contract farming’ not ‘outsourced’ farming! As accountants we are predictably focused on finance. Outsourcing of the finance function of a business is not a new concept. Outsourcing of finance functions has been around for years in farming. Essentially it means using a third-party professional to perform a number of business functions or processes rather than having staff complete them in house. There are currently more reasons than ever to consider this approach. One impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been to highlight to businesses the importance of streamlining operations and concentrating on the areas that are the most profitable or deliver most value. Moving the responsibility of the management of finances,

while being kept in the loop on important matters of which you should be aware, allows for greater focus on core business functions. Employee absence has been an aspect of the current ‘normal’; this may be through sickness, self-isolation due to contact, childcare issues, schools closing etc. While everyone has had to adapt to a home-working environment and meeting colleagues via Zoom, it would not be remiss to suggest that, for most, it is difficult to be as effective working from home when compared to the workplace. Outsourcing reduces exposure to this risk along with the employee reliance that has always been with us with respect to holiday cover, other unexpected absences or even simply a variable level of required resources. Development in technology allows for streamlined processes, often with an automated element, to be the source of efficiency gains rather than purely a lower hourly rate. Cloud software enhancements, along with the introduction of document-capture solutions, can be used to make data collection, transfer and processing considerably more economical than previously possible. Data analytics will become a key focus for many, allowing the analysis and benchmarking of everything from the cost of your insurance to the cost of your debt. Access to skills not already within your organisation and the cost of hiring and/or maintaining staff through training are also clear

benefits to outsourcing your internal finance work. It is important to identify the areas of your finance department that could benefit from this type of support; it could be that you need assistance with your payroll or credit control, or that the whole finance process could be taken outside the organisation. The first reality is that we have a shortage of experienced bookkeepers, farm secretaries and specialist accountants in the sector. The second reality is that technology is changing how we work faster than ever, and while Covid-19 has accelerated this change it has certainly not been the main driver. All landed businesses must embrace change. We believe that in ten years’ time the majority of finance functions in our sector will be outsourced because it either won’t make financial sense to keep them in house or because businesses won’t be able to access the human or technological expertise to crunch the numbers properly. This applies equally to a 60 cow dairy farm as to a 25,000 acre arable unit. Take a piece of paper and draw a circle. Write a list of what you need to focus on as a business inside the circle. Then a list of all ancillary support functions outside the circle. You need to be focused on your strengths; what is inside the circle. The stuff that sits outside is the stuff you should be thinking about outsourcing. Do what you do best and outsource the rest!

CHRIS GAZE

T: 01795 594495 E: core@chavereys.co.uk www.chavereyscore.co.uk

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SARAH CALCUTT FOCUS ON FRUIT SARAH CALCUTT Chair, National Fruit Show

A LITTLE CLARITY So Christmas is rushing towards us, the elf is back on the shelf, I may have even wrapped a couple of presents. Social media is full of pictures of people who have put their trees up early and wrapped their houses in bright lights, perhaps with a dodgy penguin tableau in pride of place at the front of the house. I agree with many pundits that this comes from a need for some fun, in the restricted small way that we can at the moment; perhaps a little bit of pressure relief found in being a bit childish. I’m in West Kent. While my local hospital isn’t full of Covid-19 sufferers, it is full of people displaced from elsewhere in the region. I would imagine that Tier 3 will continue for us for the rest of December. Looking back on the year, its hard to think that there were any high points, but there have been. We did have a crop to harvest, we did, largely, find enough people numerically, we do have a public that is largely waking up to the realities of Brexit and what that might mean for food and farming. At the time of writing, a little clarity has emerged on farming policy, though nothing yet on labour and the much needed seasonal workers scheme. I am sure that others will write about what comes next from DEFRA but as a brief list we have:

GRANTS FOR PRODUCTIVITY

As part of work to help English farmers maintain and improve productivity, DEFRA is

launching two new schemes for applications in autumn 2021 under the title Farming Investment Fund. There will be small and large grant schemes that will operate under this heading, I wonder if POs will need to fit within this?

ELMS, DUE TO START IN 2024.

Three elements are confirmed, with more details to follow in early 2021. • Sustainable Farming Incentive – available to all farmers • Local Nature Recovery – to improve the local environment • Landscape recovery – larger scale, long term projects.

DELINKING PAYMENTS AND LEAVING FARMING

DEFRA’s current intention is for direct payments in the form of BPS to become delinked in 2024. It is also proposing to offer a lump sum exit scheme in 2022 in place of any further BPS and delinked payments to help farmers who wish to leave the industry to do so.

REFORMING REGULATION

DEFRA says that by 2028 farmers will be meeting clear, relevant and outcome-focused legal standards that champion UK food internationally, prevent environmental harm, protect biosecurity and protect animal welfare. One new piece of legislation that unfortunately

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seems to have been missed by a few growers is the new requirement to be registered as a point of destination for your imported plant material; from 1 January, your trees and plants will be designated high risk and as such you will need to have them inspected by a DEFRA representative at the time of delivery. If you haven’t already done so, please register now. You also need to ensure that you have a contingency plan in place in case the inspection isn’t immediate. Do you have a cold store that can be segregated from other products and away from the potential for soil contamination? Will you be able to return the delivery in the event it fails inspection and at whose cost would that be? If you are in any doubt, please speak to your local NFU representative or your cooperative manager. Your supplying nursery will also be registered for import and will be able to assist you. This year has delivered a release for many from the tyranny of the daily commute, many of whom have discovered so much more about where they live, together with a new appreciation for the farming landscape and what it produces. It has certainly been a year when rural retail came into its own. How many boxes of fruit and vegetables have been delivered; by what percentage have milk rounds grown? Perhaps a more interesting statistic would be what the retention rate has been amongst these new customers? I hope you are heading into 2021 well and have a great Christmas and a happy New Year.

FRUIT

HUGE UNCERTAINTY

REMAINS FOR GROWERS weeks to go before the Brexit-mandated end of free movement, the industry had still heard nothing. He pointed out that the delay was creating “huge uncertainty” for growers, not least because the industry would take time to gear up to whatever the new arrangements were. “By the time someone tells us what’s going on, it will still take three months to get the scheme up and running,” he said. “It’s now virtually the end of November, then we’ve got Christmas and the new year in the way, so it will be the end of March before the scheme is set up and ready to go – and that’s assuming the decision is favourable. “The industry will probably be able to cope with the earliest crops, but if we aren’t up and running properly by May, we will have a serious problem. “The Government keeps talking about pre-settled workers, but we don’t know how many of those will want to return to the UK or to

KEY WAYS TO STAY SAFE

With markets staying open and providing a vital service during the coronavirus lockdowns, a rural support charity has created a useful video highlighting key ways farmers can stay safe while attending sales. The video, made by the Farming Community Network (FCN), features Richard Betton, a tenant farmer and one of the charity’s regional directors. It reminds all those attending marts to: • maintain social distance and try to keep two metres away from others where possible • wear a mask at all times • not take anyone to the mart who isn’t essential to selling or buying • record and register their name and contact details whenever you’re asked for them. The charity points out that following the rules is essential to ensure that farmers’ marts can remain open and continue trading. Richard said: “This is a challenging time for everyone and we’re all trying to continue operating with as much of a sense of normalcy as we can. However, if we don't follow these rules, there is a risk we may lose access to marts. “Marts across the UK have to demonstrate they're obeying the rules. It is essential that all those in attendance look out for their fellow farmers and take sensible, practical precautions to ensure everyone is safe and social mingling is kept to a minimum. “To continue operating our businesses, we need mart activity to continue as well, which will require everyone to do their part.”

agriculture next year.” Doug said that while the industry generally agreed it needed around 80,000 overseas workers to help bring in the UK harvest, DEFRA said recently that in its view the figure was 40,000. It felt that, along with using workers with pre-settled status, growers should soak up some of those who had lost their jobs during this year’s coronavirus pandemic. But, like others in the industry – many of whom tried to recruit a domestic workforce this year – he said that that was simply unrealistic. “No-one believes a home-grown workforce will sort this problem, however much we would like that to be the case,” he commented. “If we don’t hear something positive in the next month or so then the industry will be in an extremely precarious position,” he stressed. “Crops will go rotten in the fields.”

Better people Best placed SEASONAL LABOUR PLACEMENT tm ui

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Crops “will go rotten in the fields” if government foot-dragging over granting seasonal workers access to the UK next year doesn’t end very soon, a leading recruitment expert has warned. Doug Amesz, managing director of Faversham, Kent-based AG Recruitment, said the situation around seasonal workers was now “becoming desperate”, with the Government seemingly determined that the industry should rely on domestic workers and those with pre-settled and settled status, something he stressed “simply won’t fly”. Doug, whose business brought in around 6,000 overseas workers to help fruit and vegetable growers pick their crops this year, said the industry had expected the Government to make an announcement on an expanded seasonal workers scheme at the end of September, but with just

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ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

At the time of writing, mid November, we still have no clear indication as to what sort of market we are going to be facing for next spring’s lamb crop, or what the impact of whatever transpires over the next six weeks is going to have on the sheep sector in general. I know that we are in uncertain times, and as an industry we are not alone, but I am sure that, by the time of publication, we will all be committed to next year’s lambing, the tups will almost all have completed their allotted task; the deed is done, too late to halt the process now, regardless of what next year holds. Having put ewes to the tup we now have an obligation to maintain their welfare and nutritional needs, plus that of their progeny once they arrive next spring and onwards, with all of the associated effort and costs. There cannot be many industries where producers are effectively committed to a cost structure over the next six months or more without some clear indication of what sort of returns are likely to be forthcoming. From what I have heard, early scanning results are quite encouraging. I suspect that, given the surprisingly good condition of many ewes when going to the tup, scanning results could continue to be quite high. The longer-term future of the sheep sector is just as uncertain as the next six months; as an industry we are facing a lot of pressures. That pressure is coming from all sorts of directions; the battle to maintain some sort of profitability is ongoing, while there is also a growing influence from other areas that will ultimately impact on what we do. There is pressure from the environmental lobby, both in terms of the wider impact of sheep on the ecological environment, particularly on some of the more marginal areas, and in terms of CO2 emissions. There are pressures from the food lobby relating to the quantities of meat, particularly red meat, generally consumed within our society. Pressure from government in pursuit of trade deals that could result in cheap imports, probably not of lamb, but of competitive products. There is a limit to the price differentials that consumers will pay; cheap imported beef, for example, will impact lamb prices as consumption patterns shift to lower-cost products. I also note with interest the growing demand for crossbred ewes (for lamb, not wool production) in Australia, with shearling ewes at some recent sales changing hands at in excess

of £250 per head. There is a lot of investment going into lamb production, which is particularly concerning as the Australians are currently engaged in a bit of a trade spat with China that will divert lamb exports into alternative markets. All of these pressures and pressure groups have a case, albeit often heavily loaded with pseudo-science, half-truths and overstatement, on CO2 emissions for example, but we all have our own agenda to pursue. Whether you agree with our critics or not is to a certain extent irrelevant; they have a right to express their views and preferences. All we can do is be prepared to challenge untruths and endeavour to be rather more honest in our engagement, putting forward valid counter arguments, based on science and facts, not opinions, no matter how firmly held or based on emotion they are. Moving forwards, there is going be a significant revision in the level and direction of support for farmers. The Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS) provides a good indicator of the direction of flow for support. This scheme provides for a range of measures deemed to be public goods, all related to environmental measures of various sorts. So we know what is coming; it is up to us how, when, and at what level we engage with the scheme. To a certain extent we are blessed in as much as we do have within our charge the tools to make a difference to the environment. Our sheep, and the way in which we produce them, have the potential to be excellent landscape and environmental managers. They have been doing the job for many years.

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

ALAN WEST Sheep farmer

There is a common misconception that the natural vegetation of the UK is dense woodland, the mythological “wild wood”, woodland comprised of a mix of broadleaved and coniferous species, the precise constitution dependent on where we are in terms of soil types and local climate, etc. This is to a certain extent true. Abandon a block of farmland and nature will strive towards the climax vegetation, a succession of rough grasses, brambles, scrub and ultimately dense woodland. This assumption does, however, ignore (conveniently for some) the very strong probability that this was probably never the true climax vegetation of the UK. Even in pre-history, something always got in the way. That impediment to a landscape of dense woodland was always gazing herbivores; vast herds (in prehistory) of aurochs, red deer, horses, even reindeer in the harsher environments, would almost certainly have prevented the domination of the landscape by woodland. The primordial landscape when man first arrived in the UK would have been one of open forest, similar to areas such as the New Forest today, blocks of woodland and scrub but interspersed with vast open spaces of grassland and heath. Our sheep and cattle may have supplanted the wild herds, but they are capable of fulfilling the same function. The dream of some environmentalists of a landscape dominated by woodland is a fallacy, a desire to return to something that never existed. Take for example that quintessentially most English of trees, the oak. It is not a woodland tree; it never was, it is always

AT ASHFORD MARKET

at its best when it stands in glorious isolation. A varied landscape of woodland, scrub and open grazing lands, the latter managed by groups of herbivores, eg our sheep and cattle, is ecologically more diverse and supports a much broader range of wildlife than dense woodland as well as having greater aesthetic appeal. There will be many opportunities for our sheep to make a positive contribution towards an improved and ecologically sounder UK environment, but this will not come without some significant change, a change in the way we produce, the volume of production and possibly the breeds that we maintain. In general sheep are remarkably adaptable animals, it is simply that some breeds have a greater level of resilience and ability to adapt to changing circumstances than others. For fear of causing offence, I will not go any further down that route, but I’m sure the majority of sheep breeders will recognise the sentiment, even if reluctantly. We have been relatively lucky within the sheep sector in that we have not been driven to the extremes of intensification that have been forced by finances on other livestock sectors. I know of producers who really feel uncomfortable with having to maintain stock (not sheep) on a nutritional knife-edge, often significantly reducing productive life and verging constantly on compromises of welfare, simply to maintain the levels of production required to make some sort of positive margin. The sheep sector has to date not followed this path, and the sector now has the opportunity, although perhaps less so with smaller flocks, to step back and keep our flocks in a more sustainable way while making a contribution towards a better, CO2 emission reduced (if not neutral), more ecologically diverse, interesting and aesthetically pleasing landscape and environment. All we need to do is approach it with an open mind, a willingness to adapt and to accept part of our income from different sources. The provision of public goods and a healthy, diverse and safe environment is just as important to us, to society and to future generations as the production of good quality lamb. There will always be those that will say: “But it isn’t proper farming.” I would ask: “What is proper farming?” Farming for the short term, taking all that you can from the soils and the environment, is relatively easy, particularly when aided by modern technology, big machines and an arsenal of chemicals. Farming for the longterm, leaving soils and the countryside in good heart for those generations that will follow us, is a little more challenging. Personally I would rather be in the latter category. Others are, of course, free to disagree.

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A DARK YEAR BUT

A SILVER LINING! As we approach the end of the year, it is time to reﬂect on another busy sheep marketing year at Ashford, and what an extraordinary and challenging year it has been. Despite a global pandemic and a severe drought in the South East, sheep producers have achieved record prices across all sections of the industry. The early hogget trade, with prices around 210p per kg at the turn of the year, was good and prices gradually improved towards 250p by mid-March with best heavyweights grossing in excess of £125. Tight global supplies and a healthy demand contributed to these favourable returns. Although the market was disrupted as a result of the national lockdown at the end of March and trade eased back to 210p, prices were still acceptable under the circumstances. The hoggets returned an average of £12 above the previous year for the season and left store lamb finishers with a decent margin. This bullish trade continued for this year’s crop of lambs, with prices at unprecedented levels through the summer and autumn months when normally the trade suffers due to high availability. Overall averages of around 225p became the norm and again gross averages were up by some £12 per head on the year. Only in recent weeks have prices eased to around 200p to 210p, but this is still some 20p above that achieved in the same period last year and some 40p above the five-year average. These results have been achieved despite increased national slaughtering, particularly during June and July when prices were high, and only in recent months have slaughter figures eased to normal levels for the time of year. Here at Ashford, throughput figures have been exceptionally high, with over 40,000 lambs traded to date, up by some 20% on the year. A combination of lack of keep and attractive returns has encouraged producers to market lambs earlier and at lighter weights than usual. As already mentioned, these are unprecedented times, and the meat market has been forced to change and adapt. Although hospitality and catering outlets have been severely disrupted, the retail sector has flourished with the forced change to ‘catering in’ and consumers preference for quality and provenance has certainly benefitted UK production.

ELWYN DAVIES

Reporting on the sheep market at Ashford T: 01233 502222 www.hobbsparker.co.uk The store lamb section can report equally good news, with prices reflecting the bullish returns for finished sheep. The overall average was around £65 and best at £75 early in the season, which improved throughout the autumn with a recent sale recording an average of £76 and the best making £90. These are record returns and up on average by some £12 on the year and yielding a much-needed boost for store lamb producers. The sales have been well attended throughout, with away customers attracted by the large entries, the quality on offer and the abundance of keep on their own patch while drought conditions have weakened local demand. Buyers from 17 different counties have successfully purchased lambs in Ashford Market this autumn, with several attending for the first time, and will be valuable contacts for future trading. Interestingly, 42% of lambs have gone to the west country (Dorset to Cornwall), 34% local in the South East from Kent to Hampshire, 12% to the Midlands and Wales and 12% to the eastern counties and as far north as Lincolnshire. As the EU and UK edge closer to a trade deal, the future for lamb production looks bright. Reduced supplies worldwide, with New Zealand suffering a poor lambing and Australia recovering from a prolonged drought, and both predicted to restock from low levels in the next few years, will only reduce supplies further. UK production is also forecast to contract further and there are limited supplies in Europe. On the demand side, a sustained preference in China for southern hemisphere lamb, good domestic demand at current production levels and a favourable exchange rate to help exports into Europe all support expectations that a repeat of this year’s prices is not unreasonable. To conclude, we all hope for a return to normal life in the very near future and in the meantime would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year from all the livestock team at Ashford Market.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

AT COLCHESTER MARKET

SHEEP TRADE BOUNCING BACK

This report is being written in late November, before the Christmas Prime Stock Show and just before England came out of the second lockdown period. We had seen throughout the previous month another strong trade for cattle and sheep through the livestock market, with buyers competing well for all quality stock, and butchers still having an excellent trade for red meats. It will be interesting to see how the trade develops over the Christmas period, the run in just starting for the retail butchers as we enter into the period of this report. In the next edition we will be able to report on our prime stock show which hopefully will give another positive indication of the strength of livestock farming in the eastern counties. As always at this time of year manufacturing beef is a more difficult trade, but as stated this is normal, and hopefully that trade will increase as we get nearer Christmas and beyond. As always there were larger numbers of over 30-month cattle and cull cows coming forward as would be expected due to producers clearing cows before yarding for winter. With the sheep trade bouncing back from any drops very well, we still saw plenty of lambs in the period well over £100 per head; indeed, market averages in the £90-plus bracket for all sheep sold were regularly seen. This is a tremendous result for producers and is giving strength to the store lamb trade,

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For and on behalf of Stanfords T: 01206 842156 E: info@stanfords-colchester.co.uk www.stanfords-colchester.co.uk with the producers confident. There are many uncertainties on the horizon, with Brexit being one of the major ones for lamb producers, with the uncertainties connected to the export of quality lamb to the European Market. By the time this report is being read we are likely to know whether or not we have a deal with Europe, and that is likely to make a big difference to the trade we receive for finished stock in the livestock markets. Disappointingly, pigs kept on the downward slide through late October and November, which is totally against the usual trends. There is a massive quantity of pork on the European market, meaning there has been little export, with European pork prices some 15% to 20% below the British market. Worrying times for all pig producers. The difficulty has been made worse by feed costs, with the price of feed wheat exceptionally high and soya prices increasing by £100 per tonne. We wish all readers a healthy family Christmas and look forward to 2021 with optimism despite the difficulties with Covid-19. 2020 will certainly be a year to remember, mainly for the wrong reasons, but for livestock producers it was a tremendous year, with live markets leading the way with pricing and numbers increasing. More are still required in all livestock markets, though, particularly those for finished cattle and sheep.

NEW TARGETS

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has welcomed new sectorspecific targets for the responsible use of antibiotics in the UK’s food producing animals over the next four years. The new targets will build on recent success which has seen the UK become the fifth lowest user of antibiotics for food producing animals in Europe and the lowest among more commercially productive European countries. They were set out in the Targets Task Force Report 2020 by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance and cover 10 sectors across ruminants, aquaculture, pigs and poultry. The targets build on the successful implementation of the 40 sector-specific targets which were set out in 2017 and have seen UK sales of antibiotics to treat food producing animals halve since 2014 and sales for the Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics (HP-CIAs) cut by 75%. Welcoming the news, the BVA said veterinary involvement would “continue to be at the heart of delivering the new goals, which include a focus on disease prevention, herd and flock health planning and increased engagement between vets and farmers”. It said a key aim would be to set up a UK-wide network of Farm Vet Champions to set, meet and record both personal and practice-level specific medicine prescribing goals.

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What was your worm control approach this year? And no, I am not talking about sheep! We are talking cattle this time. While worming is a well discussed subject within the sheep world, it is less so for the cattle industry. But I have to say having to deal with a suspected resistance to moxidectin in cattle recently has put this subject very much back on my agenda. And just as in sheep, we need to look at how we can adopt a sustainable approach to worm control. Cattle at grass will be exposed to worms, although there are different risk levels of worms on pasture and individual animals will have a different level of resilience to these worms. With regards to cattle there are two main species of worms that cause problems. These are Ostertagia and Cooperia. When we make decisions regarding gutworm control, there are different factors to consider. Obviously avoiding production loss and compromised welfare are the principal concerns, but increasingly the environmental impact of using these products is being considered as well. Not only the direct ecological effect on the environment, for example products containing ivermectin affecting dung beetle activity, but also looking at the increase in carbon footprint caused by suboptimal performance. When we look at worm control in cattle in more detail there are many similarities to sheep. Rather than just focussing on what is happening inside the cow, we need to start thinking about what is happening on the pastures. Did you know that only 5% of the infective larvae live at the top of the grass whereas 75% live right at the bottom? Avoiding close grazing will have a big impact on how much your cattle are exposed to the worms from the pasture. Another fact is that worms obey the 80:20 rule; 20% of your cattle will harbour 80% of the worm population, so targeted treatment based on measurable traits like daily liveweight gain or body condition scoring is important. “Maximising the in refugia worm population” is something we have been banging on about for a while now when it comes to reducing the rate of development of resistance in lambs. But the same principle must be applied to cattle. Put simply we need to ensure that as few worms as possible are exposed to each dose or wormer. This is because we need as large a pool as possible of strong non-resistant worms available to dilute the resistant worms. This can either be done by leaving animals on a highly infected pasture for a while after dosing (which requires knowing your pasture infection levels) or by leaving 10% to 20% of the best performing animals (which is where the body condition scoring or weighing comes in). To put this into practice, it is essential to form a plan with your vet before the next grazing season starts. You will need to do a farm risk assessment and combine this with a pasture risk assessment. Tools that can help with these assessments include a pepsinogen blood test at the end of the previous grazing season. This is done by sampling young animals after their first grazing season, and can inform us about levels of exposure to worms, how successful your pasture management was and what the risk of the pasture is for next year. Although worm egg counts are not as sensitive a tool as they are in sheep (excuse me for referring to these creatures again), they are very useful to assess early pasture infection levels by performing a test six to eight weeks post turnout. This can then be combined with parasite forecasts released each month by NADIS and lead to a more targeted approach. Hopefully this little reminder of worm control in cattle has put this back onto your agenda too!

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ADVICE FROM THE VET

DAIRY HEIFER CALF GROWTH RATE MONITORING

We are all aware that to get the best lifelong potential from a heifer, you want it to calve at 24 months. However, the NMR national average figure for age at first calving is 28 to 29 months, writes Emily Ozols BVSc MRCVS, Westpoint Sevenoaks. Studies have shown that a heifer calving at 23 to 24 months has the best survivability by giving more milk (over her entire lifetime and milk per day of life), easier calving, and having fewer problems later in life, whereas heifers calving at over 30 months of age are twice as likely to be culled. There are also lower heifer rearing costs and fewer youngstock on the farm, which in turn reduces housing costs and disease susceptibility. AHDB has shown that the cost of rearing a heifer increases by £2.87 per day for every day’s increase in age at first calving over 24 months. This means starting to serve heifers at 13 months old if we are to hit the 24 month target. And to hit this target we need calves to grow. So, is measuring the growth rates of heifer calves really worth the time and effort? Yes, because by monitoring growth we can check that the early targets are being reached. The earlier we know there is a problem, the more chance we have of rectifying it.

WHAT ARE THE GROWTH RATE TARGETS?

Heifers should be at 65% of adult bodyweight at bulling and 90% of adult body weight when they calve. Weigh third and fourth lactation cows to find out what your normal adult body weight is. To achieve this, we should be aiming for a growth rate of between 0.7 to 0.9kg/day. Good early growth is key, so aim higher for the first three months and 0.7kg/day following on.

HOW AND WHEN TO MEASURE?

Ideally, we would want to monitor growth rates every two weeks from birth until one or two weeks after weaning, then again at six months, and finally at breeding. It is very important that calves are monitored throughout the milk feeding stages as this is when growth is most efficient but can also be when setbacks occur. The most accurate way to measure weights is by using electronic scales. When this isn’t an option, weigh tapes can be used. They are particularly useful in the early stages of life, even at six to nine months, and accuracy can be improved by having one person responsible for taking the measurements. As animals get older, the weigh tape measurements become less and less accurate, at which point height can be used as an alternative. This can be achieved by using a stick or marking target heights on a wall.

POTENTIAL GROWTH RATE SETBACKS

There are certain times and stages when growth setbacks can happen, so it is important to manage these stages well and keep stress levels low. One of the biggest factors to affect a calf’s growth rate in the first two months of life is disease, especially scours and pneumonia. Pneumonia is one of the biggest causes of mortality in calves, but it has a huge impact on a calf’s entire life, leading to reduced growth rates and poor performance. It is therefore vital that calves get the best start in life and that starts by providing a high standard of colostrum management; giving calves the

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

best opportunity to be protected against disease. Vaccination, housing and nutrition also play important roles in disease prevention and the health of calves. When all factors come together, we aren’t just preventing the growth setbacks but we are seeing a consistent progression in the growth rates of calves.

AND DON’T PANIC!

The good thing about understanding your targets and monitoring progress is you can always make changes along the way. It is easier to spot when problems are happening, often before any clinical disease is really noticed. And if you find at nine months old they are significantly over or under weight, there’s no need to panic; by simply adjusting your management you can get them back on track. If you would to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice

ANDY RICHMOND KATHY HUME

Westpoint Horsham Westpoint Ashford T: 01306 628086 T: 01306 628208 E: info@westpointfarmvets.co.uk www.westpointfarmvets.co.uk

EMILY OZOLS JACK BALKHAM

Westpoint Sevenoaks T: 01959 564383

WEST SUSSEX DIARY NICK ADAMES

> What I really miss from years past - the next generation emerges

COMMUNITY ATTITUDE IS QUITE EXCEPTIONAL

2020… Some good, some not so good, but on balance, and looking at the general state of the world and the industry over the same period, it has been quite a good year here on the farm. The old herd is all gone now, all ages, together in the County Antrim countryside and registered as a Pedigree British Friesian herd. That was something I had never considered, mainly because it meant more paper filling and more rules, while I just wanted to get on and farm, but Paul Smyth, their new owner, was keen and when he saw their breeding records he decided the animals were almost as good as pedigree already, so it did not take him much above a year to get the job done. I’m not sure it will make them milk any better, although their reversal back to robotic milking has again raised milk yields to encouraging breed levels. I believe Paul intends to try to get into the market for selling young bulls, and maybe their semen as well. Another thing he has done, which keeps a link with their history, has been to name the herd after our little hamlet here in Sussex. Its rather a nice touch, since according to Google, there is no other place in the world with the same name, so it should perpetrate the connection for many years to come. I’ve written several times recently of our local school. We have a very ‘neighbourhood orientated’ community college, and the help the head master, with his staff, have given us over the recent vandalism troubles has been tremendous. They react very quickly to problems, make announcements on the school website and get almost instant reactions, nipping most problems ‘in the bud’. I would like to think this community attitude is common, but I do think they are really quite exceptional. They can usually put a stop to most problems more effectively than the police. It’s sad, but to regain the respect our constabulary once held, before such things as ‘political

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correctness’, ‘woke’ and ‘the blame culture’ took hold, the service really needs to get a grip, particularly in the countryside. One knows from comments heard around the south that our experience seems the ‘norm’ these days. The only way to get the police to show interest appears to some to be to exaggerate the situation, tell of guns or young children, which might stir them into life. As mentioned before, the predominant reason I even need to call them is because our insurers want to know we have obtained a crime number! So we need to cover ourselves. The police ask us farmers to involve them, then they let both us and themselves down by not following reports up. Some 14 to 15 years back, my bank set up a specialist agricultural banking division, staffed by people who actually understood farming and, as importantly, the farmers themselves. Dealing with those staff was refreshing since they spoke our ‘language’. They understood the difficulties caused by weather, EU-inspired political ‘brainfade’ (like the now-abandoned, hopefully permanently, three crop rule) and disease restrictions over the likes of TB, along with the numerous other problems farms all face from time to time. To have their support and understanding was very reassuring. I met numerous farmers from across a wide area who dealt with, and spoke very highly of, this specialist unit. Recently most of its top personnel have unfortunately left the bank somewhat disillusioned I’m told, so how long will the department remain? Like a number of businesses, at certain times we occasionally have a cash surplus. For some brief periods this was loaned, short term (seven days or a month) to the bank, which then lent it on, at a premium. In recent times, however, the UK interest rate has diminished to the point where we couldn’t earn enough from this arrangement to pay for a

phone call. Had we done so, the bank was still able to lend this money on, making a good ‘turn’ on it, in the region of, probably 4%, maybe more? So I decided it wasn’t worth lending to them to earn almost nothing while allowing them to then profit from it. Quite quickly after I stopped giving them this facility, we were advised they would no longer be able to provide us with the services of the ‘agri banking department’. Strange, that? This was despite having paid the bank untold thousands of pounds in bank charges over the past 50-odd years! (I well remember when bank borrowing rates went up to 17%.) But it was a really good service while it lasted. “Thank you, Lucinda and Carol”. So now we will have to rely on the deskbound bank staff of earlier times. Or ‘online’…. just as the industry faces an unknown period of treble or quadruple ‘whammies’ brought on by what looks like being a predictably difficult break from the EU. Despite everything, we are probably quite fortunate to have no cattle on the farms any more. We still miss them. And even after almost a year I still wake up at night imagining I can hear them mooing… Old habits? With all the uncertainties around at the moment, some of which could turn out trivial, one or two of which could well be world shaking, unless some sense is shown amongst the people who have been elected to run the place, may I wish all readers as good a Christmas as you are allowed, a happy and healthy new year and a speedy return to something approaching normality in 2021.

NICK ADAMES Former dairy farmer

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

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ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

With lots of political, financial and coronavirus uncertainty still affecting the markets, coupled with relentless Chinese demand and a few ongoing world weather concerns, the UK grain and oilseed markets remain firm. I won’t be at all surprised if Brexit is not fully resolved when I write my next article in December. After all we have only had four years of it, so why not go up to New Year’s Eve? It’s no longer the big issue in the market place that it was. Looking at the differential between UK and EU markets, these have narrowed lately, which suggests that a deal of sorts has been done to allow tariff-free trade between the UK and EU to carry on after 31 December. Even if sterling strengthens as a result of this, it does not mean imported wheat or maize will be offered any cheaper than it is now. Stronger currency would reduce the value of the one commodity we do still have to export, which is barley. Due to good planting weather around the world and in the UK, winter plantings in many areas are complete. There are some parts of Norfolk and Suffolk where late sugar beet activity has meant wheat planting is still behind, and the same applies to some heavy land in the Oxford and Northampton areas. Generally, however, in lighter land areas wheat is fully planted and is looking good. Increases of 20% are estimated, but in many cases it’s 100% better than last year at this stage! Before anyone starts talking about ‘wall to wall wheat’ for harvest 2021, it’s worth remembering that we still have about the same amount of this season to get through as we have already seen. It’s a long way until next August. Yes, the wheat market has ticked up to

WHEAT IS FULLY PLANTED

IN LIGHTER LAND more market highs lately, but that doesn’t mean it cannot go higher yet, before next harvest. The trade has been arguing about whether we had nine or ten million tonnes of wheat from last harvest, but that’s history now. In my view, the next most important wheat tonnage target will be the 14.5 million tonnes which we will need from the 2021 harvest. If we get this plus our usual carry in, we should be self-sufficient in wheat for 2021/2022. Realistically you won’t be feeling confident about that until June, July or even August! So those who have been forecasting a postBrexit falling off in wheat values – with the current £33 per tonne difference between old and new crop narrowing – could yet be in for a shock as that may not happen until August. We don’t have the real updated import figures for wheat and maize into the UK. They looked light at the end of September, with wheat at 710,000 metric tonnes and maize at 613,000 metric tonnes. So there is a lot still to come in. I hope it has been pre-bought as I’m not quite sure where the feed wheat and maize would come from if you had to start buying it now. ELVED PHILLIPS Believe it or not, maize is still the cheapest food stuff in the world, Openfield but not in the UK where its priced at £200 ex store in the north

IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SOIL

west. Against that, wheat at £180 and barley at £140 does not look so expensive. While the world has been pre-occupied with coronavirus, China has carried on replenishing its grain, protein and oil stocks. It has also been re-building its pig herd at the rate of 35% per year. They say when you have a leg amputated you can still ‘feel’ it’s there for some time! It must be the same with China. They have not actually bought any American maize since 14 October but the trade still thinks they are behind every price spike! On soya there are rumours that China intends to switch out of US soya into Brazilian or conversely switch from palm oil to bean oil. Whichever, they really have the international trade guessing. It’s turned its attention to French new crop barley which has firmed that market. What should be a well-informed source is suggesting that China may need 33 million tonnes of maize in 2021, rising to 55 million tonnes in 2023; now that would change the dynamics of the corn market! We are already into the 18-month cycle of marketing next year’s crop. If we learned anything from this year it’s that there is no rush to sell next year’s crop at this stage, especially with once-in-alifetime events like Brexit between now and then. Also, when forward selling the quantities need to be smaller and in line with the development of your crops.

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STEPHEN CARR As part of its Clean Air Strategy, the Government has launched a consultation on how best to reduce the ammonia pollution that arises from the use by English farmers of 150,000 tonnes of solid urea fertiliser each year. Once spread on fields, if there is then a spell of hot dry weather, this urea can release large quantities of ammonia into the atmosphere. Ammonia has multiple detrimental effects on the environment, although it is not a greenhouse gas. Where it drifts over urban areas it combines with other pollutants to form microscopic ‘particulate matter’ so small it can enter people’s lungs and bloodstreams where it can cause respiratory and other illnesses. As if that wasn’t bad enough, ammonia also leads to acid rain and reduced bio-diversity. The obvious question, given the highly polluting effects of urea, is: “Why are farmers still using the stuff at all?” The answer is that urea is significantly cheaper than the alternative: ammonium nitrate. Indeed the annual total cost to English farmers of making the switch would be close to £17 million per year. This is a substantial sum of money given that post-Brexit arable farming incomes are forecast to be tight. The Government’s consultation asks whether

WHY ARE FARMERS STILL USING AMMONIA AT ALL? STEPHEN CARR Arable farmer

there should be an outright ban on the use of solid urea or a requirement to treat it with an inhibitor to slow the release of ammonia. There is also a third proposal to restrict the use of urea to a window between 15 January and 31 March each year, when soils are cooler and ammonia evaporation therefore less. Personally, I would prefer an outright ban on the use of solid urea as this produces the best results, with a projected benefit to society of £110 million a year. That said, until or unless a ban is introduced, I will continue to use urea on my crops where I consider it brings me a better result in terms of

crop yield or improves my efficiency by reducing my growing costs. It is not up to me as an individual farmer to compromise my efficiency by introducing more environmentally friendly farming techniques. Agriculture is a highly competitive, low-profit margin industry and if I start deliberately to undermine my own efficiency I won’t be in business long. It is up to government to set out the rules and regulations that apply to what farmers can and can’t do. Then we are all competing with each other fairly. So, I wish the Government well with implementing its Clean Air Strategy, with the significant proviso that whatever regulations it imposes on me as an English arable farmer must apply to my wheat growing counterparts in Brazil or Ukraine. Otherwise, we English farmers might just as well all throw in the towel as the first tonne of Brazilian urea-fed wheat docks at Tilbury.

IMPROVING OUTPUT AND LOWERING COSTS Kubota claims its 2021 range of variable chamber round balers will improve output and lower operating costs. The revised range being introduced for the 2021 season has been designated the Plus-series, with updated models comprising the BV5160 and BV5200 versions and the Flexiwrap baler-wrapper combination which uses the BV5160 with 14-knife crop chopping system. The company says the changes “have been implemented to improve output and lower operating costs, and combine a redesigned roller crop press capable of lifting higher in heavier crops, with strengthened side support arms with improved limit stops. Enhanced protection against crop wrapping is also provided for the crop press bearings, which have now been mounted inside the roller”. The 2.2m pick-up reel, which features twin-cam tracks and five tine bars, has also been refreshed. It now features 10mm longer tines and wider stripper plates to improve cleaning in wet crop conditions. The pick-up drive chain is bigger for added durability. The baler driveline is now equipped with long-life HBC specification chains providing higher fatigue strength and increased wear resistance compared

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to conventional chain. Newly designed idler rollers in the bale chamber benefit from a 45% increase in bearing diameter, along with larger internal grease capacity and improved shielding. The idler rollers have also gained a continuous central shaft to add rigidity. Kubota says maintenance on all models has been simplified, with bale chamber drive rollers gaining cast iron housings and centralised grease banks

to keep non-productive maintenance time to a minimum. The new Kubota BV Plus series models have high-level LED road lights, reducing the likelihood of damage from stray bales. Intake systems comprise the SuperFeed rotor or 14 knife SuperCut crop chopping system. Maximum bale sizes are 1.65m and 2.0m depending on model, and prices start at £39,908.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

AGRONOMY

SPRING SEED CONSIDERATIONS

David Bouch, Hutchinsons National Seeds Manager, provides his thoughts on spring 2021 and recommendations for spring seed varieties.

We approach a spring likely to be vastly different to that of 2020. A large proportion of the farming community had never experienced such a cropping year (and hopefully never will again), where there was a very sizeable amount of spring cropping entered into the ground in a delayed drilling season. This has subsequently been followed by a projected wheat area this autumn at circa 1.8 million hectares, coupled with another significant fall in winter oilseed rape and a shortfall despite a derogation in winter bean supply. We now have to look ahead and assess the prospects and challenges for spring 2021 accordingly. Spring barley will again be in demand, albeit with a fall back to the more ‘normal’ hectarage of the previous two years. However, the supposition that there will be a plentiful supply of seed may well be based on a slightly false pretence. It is certainly becoming apparent that although there was a very large crop planted and harvested, the quality of some of those crops is beginning to present a problem, with germinations looking

poor and therefore availability perhaps not the given that was perceived. RGT Planet, Laureate and LG Diablo (now fully approved for both malting and distilling) will be the main three varieties in terms of market share, with newly recommended Tungsten, SY Splendor (under test) and Cosmopolitan (provisional recommendation) also competing within the sector. Barley still offers the best competition for blackgrass and therefore offers both an end market as well as agronomic benefit. These barleys also offer high yield and can hold their own against out-and-out feed varieties such as Fairway and Prospect. Spring wheat will also have a more traditional uptake but invariably sells out, and certainly varieties such as KWS Chilham, KWS Cochise and KWS Giraffe (very little available 2021) will be popular alongside Mulika as the only group one, and Hexham may also see some uptake on the back of limited volumes this spring. Spring oats will definitely be in tight supply, with Canyon still being the millers’ preference but now seeing yield competition from WPB Isabel,

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

DAVID BOUCH Hutchinsons

If you would like advice on spring seed choice and supply, please contact our dedicated seed team: E: seed.orders@hlhltd.co.uk Canterbury: 01227 830064 www.hlhltd.co.uk Delfin and Elison. Spring pulses will be sought after, with beans being in demand after a shortfall in winter bean supply and a large reduction in winter oilseed rape. Lynx will likely be the number one variety by area for spring 2021, with interest in LG Raptor and Ghengis likely to increase, depending upon availability. Peas will in all likelihood also see an increase in demand and advice should be sought as to the preferred end markets before final varietal choice is decided upon. I would strongly advise that any pulse requirements are attended to at an early juncture to avoid disappointment. Finally, there will again be a resurgence in spring oilseeds to give a rotational balance where required. We certainly saw greater volumes of linseed and spring oilseed rape in 2020 and these patterns may well be followed again next year.

ORGANISED CHAOS ANITA HEAD

VLOG IS LATEST OBSESSION Life seems to have been so chaotic lately that I don’t seem to know whether I am coming or going. So much so that I almost missed an edition of South East Farmer, so please accept my apologies if this article appears a little rushed. The Christmas tree is now in residence, the children have finished school without any disruption and plans for the festive season are well under way. Christmas shopping is complete (a huge sigh of relief is exhaled from certain family members) and when all the work has been done we shall eat, drink and be merry – or rather fall asleep and start again the following day. Having sat down to eat a hastily prepared supper, it was family discussion time at the dinner table… Modern machinery was the topic tonight. What excitement; is it better to have modern machinery that seem to be rather expensive to repair or older machinery that you can repair yourselves? We have a relatively new telehandler that seems to be a “Friday afternoon” job, small problems that continue to annoy us on a daily basis. If you total up the cost of the machine and the cost of the ongoing issues it becomes a little more than a never-ending empty bank account. The problem that we encounter is that the machine is in use 365 days a year. On a cold, damp morning it is essential that the machine starts and performs well. The ever-faithful Ford tractor that Fergus has lovingly restored is easy to fix and always seems to start come rain or shine. It’s not the most luxurious or comfortable machine, but these are some of the sacrifices to be made. Tom Pemberton Farm Life seems to be the latest obsession in our house. His YouTube vlogs (online videos) seem to be played the instant they appear. He certainly has a way, and I must confess to having watched a couple. I’m undecided as to whether he is a good influence or not. I wonder how he manages to get away with some of the things he does; personally I think the “Red Shepherdess” has a lot to do with the older members of the family watching it. I have unsuccessfully been trying to purchase some of his “merch”. The minute it goes live on the internet it seems to have sold out, so clearly the boys are not the only ones to be obsessed. The farm shop and clothing must be bringing in huge amounts of revenue. The annual farm subsides will decrease by at least 50% BY 2024. The BPS will start being reduced from 2021. Businesses that receive £30,000 or less will see their subsidy fall by 5% in 2021, followed by a gradual increase to 50% in 2024. Farmers who receive more than this will see their BPS fall at an even higher rate.

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The Government has launched its path to sustainable farming. I believe the changes will be brought in over the next seven years. The Environmental Land Management Farmer scheme (ELMS) will be introduced to give an incentive for sustainable farming processes whilst boosting the environment. Level 1 of ELMS will be the sustainable farming incentive that will aid farm husbandry and commend soil improvement and pest management. Level 2 – Natural England – will pay for creating, managing and restoring wildlife habitats etc and Level 3 will be landscape recovery through projects that will include large-scale woodland creations. The Government has promised that they will simplify existing schemes and their application processes; cutting red tape would be a start. A new farming investment fund to enable businesses to invest in the future in things such as equipment, technology and infrastructure will all form part of it. Farming will not have seen a change like this in over 70 years. We shall see how it all pans out. If the Government has anything to do with it, I wouldn’t hold out much hope. Let us hope we can all live off bark, butterflies and beetles. All that remains is for me to wish you all an incredibly happy Christmas and a prosperous new year. Stay safe in 2021.

ANITA HEAD

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EMPLOYER’S DUTY OF CARE

Farming is a hazardous occupation, with the agricultural industry having one of the highest levels of work-related injuries. The dangers were highlighted by a recent incident at a dairy farm in Northern Ireland where a young dairy farmer was crushed by a cow and suffered internal bleeding. Fortunately the farmer survived, but had he not gone to hospital when he did, the outcome could have been very different. The farmer in this case was 24 years old, had been working on his family’s dairy farm for eight years and was used to caring for 800 cows. “This shows just how dangerous farms can be even for those with vast experience who may become complacent of the risks they face,” commented Vanessa James, a partner in the employment team at Ashfords LLP. “Employers have a duty of care towards their workforce which includes ensuring that there are adequate health and safety procedures in place to protect and manage the safety, health and welfare of their staff.

“Employers should carry out a risk assessment of their workplace, and review it on a regular basis or in response to any changes, to identify any aspects of their business that could pose a risk to the health and safety of their workforce. “The risk assessment should include implementing reasonably practicable steps to avoid accidents in the workplace. This does not mean that all risks must be eradicated but that the employer should apply a principle of sensible risk management and introduce controls that are proportionate to the risks.” Ms James suggested that in the agricultural and farming sector this should include things such as: • regularly checking equipment and machinery • ensuring the competency of employees • ensuring appropriate training, including in relation to any new working methods or in relation to using new equipment • having an emergency plan in place, including how to respond to incidents and how to deliver first aid • how to handle livestock, including having:

NEW APPOINTMENT TO RURAL BUSINESS AND ESTATES TEAM

Supporting the rural community for over 230 years

National law firm Irwin Mitchell has appointed Charlotte West as an associate in its Rural Business and Estates Team. Charlotte, who joins from Blake Morgan LLP, will be based in the firm’s Gatwick office. Charlotte has been working solely in agricultural and rural property for seven years, acting on matters including purchase and sales of farms, landed estates, rural commercial and residential properties and land plots. She has also worked on refinancing deals, from small single property refinances to large scale refinancing of landed estates, and on matters including transfers, farm business tenancies and overage agreements, residential and commercial leases and licences and providing bespoke agricultural advice in respect of Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies. Charlotte has acted for several landed estates, including one covering more than 10,000 acres, advised on the sale of a commercial property portfolio worth over £20 million with leaseback, loan and stamp duty land tax group and leaseback relief, and has carried out property due diligence on an estate for a lender on a facility of nearly £25 million. She is a member of both the Sussex Committee of the Country Land and Business Association and the Agricultural Law Association. James Pavey, Head of Rural Business and Estates said: “I am delighted that Charlotte has joined us to bolster our offering to farms and estates. She has significant experience of all aspects of rural property – agricultural, residential and commercial – as well as property finance. She is well-placed, as part of a growing team, to help our landowner and rural business clients meet the challenges of the next decade: the implications of Covid-19 and, more particularly, of Brexit and climate change.”

We have a real commitment to the rural sector, providing responsive and accessible legal advice to farmers, producers and their suppliers.

If your business needs help with: • Contracts and transactions • Diversification • Property purchase and lease negotiation • Equine law • Employment If you would like help with: • Family law and divorce • Residential conveyancing • Tax planning and trusts • Wills and estate administration

Contact us today Canterbury 01227 643250 Maidstone 01622 698000 Tenterden 01580 765722 enquiries@whitehead-monckton.co.uk www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales. Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.

• proper restraining and handling equipment in place to minimise risks • a vehicle nearby to facilitate a swift escape if required • two people present wherever possible, or in higher risk scenarios, to assist in keeping animals away and provide warnings of any problems. “Employers should also ensure that they create an environment where staff feel comfortable to raise any issues or concerns and that pressure is not put on staff to get the job done at the expense of their safety,” said Ms James. “Where concerns are raised, employers should ensure these are investigated with appropriate remedial action taken and that staff are not treated detrimentally as a result of concerns raised. “One final point to note is that employers should have in place employers’ liability insurance to cover against liability for personal injury sustained by an employee during the course of their employment.”

SEF1220

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

PROPRIETARY ESTOPPEL AND SUCCESSION PLANNING

LEGAL

PROMISES, PROMISES “One day this will all be yours” is a common conversation within farming families, when younger generations are promised inheritance of the family farm. What happens, though, if that promise is broken? If you break a promise to leave your estate to someone on your death, you could face a proprietary estoppel claim, and even though the claim is about inheritance, it can be brought against you before you die, with life-changing results. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the Court of Appeal’s decision in March 2020 in the long-running dispute between the Guest family about their farm. It started with a breakdown in family relationships between Andrew Guest and his parents, David and Josephine, and brother, Ross. Andrew dedicated 33 years of his life to working on the family farm, with the expectation that it would be passed down to him in later years. Initially his parents had designed their wills to ensure Andrew and Ross inherited the farmland and business in equal shares. Over time, however, as family disagreements heightened, the parents changed their wills to effectively exclude Andrew from any inheritance of the farm and then furthermore removing his right to reside at a cottage on the farm where he had lived with his wife and children for over 20 years. Andrew brought a proprietary estoppel claim against his parents and the High Court upheld the claim, ordering the parents to pay Andrew a lump sum of almost £3 million, equating to 50% of the value of the farming business and 40% of the land value. Their appeal to the Court of Appeal failed and, inevitably, David and Josephine had no choice but to sell the farm to raise the money to pay Andrew. The court decided Andrew Guest was successful because his case met the following criteria:

1. A REPRESENTATION OR ASSURANCE IS MADE BY THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY/INTEREST

Since starting work on the family farm, Andrew’s parents had made assurances that he would inherit the farm, both in conversation and in conduct. For example, if ever a disagreement over farming decisions arose, his father David would respond by saying things such as: “It’s my farm, when you take over you can do what you want.” Similarly, his mother also wrote to him to say that the farm was “all in [his] lap”. Promises about his inheritance of the farm were made consistently over time, therefore establishing a clear assurance.

2. RELIANCE IS THEN (REASONABLY) PLACED ON THAT ASSURANCE, GIVING RISE TO AN EXPECTATION ABOUT INHERITANCE

Given the long hours and low pay received by Andrew, it was reasonable to assume that he would not have continued to work on the farm if he was not relying on the assurance of his inheritance of it in the future.

3. THE PERSON TO WHOM THE ASSURANCE WAS MADE SUFFERS A DETRIMENT IN CONSEQUENCE

Andrew invested 33 years into the farm, all the time working very long hours for a very basic pay. The acceptance of these conditions by Andrew were no doubt due to the fact that he believed his future to be tied up in the farm. The Judge noted that it was likely that Andrew had the opportunity to better himself elsewhere and that in dedicating his life to the farm he had suffered financial detriment as a result.

4. IT WOULD BE UNCONSCIONABLE TO DENY THAT PERSON A REMEDY

The High Court found that to allow Andrew’s parents to go back on their promise to Andrew would be unconscionable; to do so would have left Andrew with no home, job or pension despite the years of work he had put into the family farm. The Court appeared to have been impressed by his investment into the business by taking various training courses and successfully developing the business. The cost of the fall out within the family was life changing for all of them and, arguably, harsh on Andrew’s parents, who had only ever contemplated passing the farm onto the next generation, not selling it. While no two cases are ever identical, and these inheritance claims are always fact specific, the Guest v Guest case serves as a reminder that estate planning in farming families can have a unique perspective – and the stakes are high.

DEBORAH CAIN

Partner, Dispute Resolution, Brachers LLP T: 01622 655297 E: deborahcain@brachers.co.uk www.brachers.co.uk

Helping our agricultural community to thrive and grow Legal services which deliver long-term solutions to support the future of farming Call us on 01622 690691 Visit us at brachers.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

LAND AND FARMS

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

Readers over a certain age might remember a BT ad featuring the catchphrase: “It’s good to talk”. It was encouraging us, in a pre-mobile era, to pick up the telephone, but the adage remains apt – and no more so than when it comes to succession planning. This is a tough topic to address, but the consequences of failing to do so can be huge. Part of the problem is that it never seems as urgent, say, as fixing that shed roof or getting out with the drill. The trouble is, that becomes the default position and it remains ‘a job for tomorrow’ for years, sometimes decades. Meanwhile farming changes, laws change, people change and, in what is another unfortunate inescapable truth, people die. Sorry, incidentally, if this is beginning to feel like a less-than-cheery read at a time of year when we traditionally like to be happy, but December and January are months when we also reflect and look ahead. Let me give you a real-life example which will hopefully show why succession planning matters. Richard inherited a family farm a few years ago after his father died. There was a proviso, though – that the business had an obligation to “look after” an uncle until his death. So far, so typical, but there was a problem. Actually, there were a few, but let’s break it down. The first one is that Uncle Peter had somehow become the named title-holder on the Land Registry and, although he had no rights over the land, it meant Richard had to negotiate with Peter’s children to get them to co-operate to get the title amended. This has proved difficult because their relationship isn’t great. This highlights the importance of communication. In this case, Peter would probably have agreed to help resolve the title matter before he died, but it never happened. There’s another lesson here. It’s vital to make sure wills are in place for everyone involved in the

business and that those affected by them know what’s in them so the implications can be discussed and any appropriate action taken. Looking at the wider picture, Inheritance Tax planning is much easier to do while people are alive. A frank, open discussion can usually improve any situation. Ignoring important issues is likely to result in problems getting worse and, even more unpalatably, high legal fees. Back to the farm in question. Richard and his son don’t really see eye-to-eye. This means they are also not addressing the ongoing management and development of the business. They, like so many, have been affected by volatile commodity prices, but the business has stayed purely agricultural despite its excellent South East location with opportunities on the doorstep. There is potential additional income from converting redundant buildings to offices and workshops but the absence of any such diversification revenue is a direct result of the breakdown in communication between father and son. There’s a wider lesson here, too. More senior family members should recognise that (despite their lifetime of experience) they don’t always have the right answers. In a similar spirit, younger members of a family/business should recognise that age and experience often do combine to bring wisdom. Everyone should have the opportunity to air opinions. Everyone should listen to each other. One of the points I always make to clients is that if a son or daughter wants to do something new, this shouldn’t be taken as criticism. What might be important to one person may simply be less important or interesting to another. It’s a lot harder to begin talking after communication has broken down. Once that impasse has been reached it can be impossible to kickstart the process without some outside help. That’s what I’ve been providing in the example I mention.

• Farm and Estate Management • Farm Business Consultancy • Viticulture • Countryside Stewardship • Ecological Surveys • Planning Applications

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Farming is in a period of accelerated change. Brexit, deal or no deal, will bring changes. The tax regime could soon look very different because the cost of Covid-19 is likely to lead the government to review income and capital taxes in a bid to swell Treasury coffers. This is even before we consider that farmers’ income from support will be lower in 2022 than in 2021. Agri-businesses that take the time to understand the implications of such changes, that are prepared to adapt and that are willing to have difficult succession conversations, can look forward to a bright future. Those applying the ostrich technique are likely to be in for a rough ride. Remember, it’s as good to talk now as it has ever been.

MATTHEW BERRYMAN Director, CLM T: 07710 765323 E: matthew@c-l-m.co.uk www.c-l-m.co.uk

Call us on 01892 770339 or email info@c-l-m.co.uk www.c-l-m.co.uk

Agriculture Act 2020

How will this affect you? For a copy of our help guide contact: enquiries@batchellermonkhouse.com

batchellermonkhouse.com

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Lockdown unlocked! | Bare land forges ahead | Four things we know about the farmland market | Be prepared Why Residential Promotion Agreements are attractive | The 2020 rollercoaster

PLUMPTON | EAST SUSSEX

GUIDE: £1,200,000

APPROX 20.91 ACRES

VITICULTURAL OPPORTUNITY Stringers Farm, just off Riddens Lane in Plumpton, is situated at the end of a private unmade up farm access which leads directly to the farm buildings, presenting enormous potential for alternative uses subject to the appropriate consents. The buildings are ideal for stock and equipment movements and provide useful storage, with the potential for conversion into

a winery. The whole property extends to about 20.91 acres and a feasibility study has been prepared that recommends the establishment of a vineyard. The property lies close to the Downs and the village of Plumpton Green has good local facilities, a racecourse and a main line station. The county town of Lewes is seven miles away, Brighton 12 miles and Haywards Heath six.

Plumpton College, with its renowned wine centre and its commercial winery and research centre is three miles away. The property has a guide price of £1,200,000 and further details are available from James Tillard, who commented: “This is a well located opportunity for various different ideas.” Further details are available from the sole agents, RH & RW Clutton.

P O T TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

K C PI

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

LOCKDOWN UNLOCKED!

At the end of a historically turbulent year, the rural property market here in the South East has fared remarkably well and been fuelled in part by the desire of many city dwellers to sell up and move to rural properties while still remaining within easy reach of central London. Unfortunately the supply of property coming onto the market hasn’t kept up with this high level of demand in many sought-after locations, an issue that doesn’t look likely to end soon. With the ability to work from home and the desire for more outdoor space to beat lockdown frustrations, urban based applicants are keen to buy into the rural lifestyle, but they are also wary about making an expensive mistake. Many buyers will also be looking to complete their property purchase before the end of the Stamp Duty holiday on 31 March 2021. Where mortgage borrowing is needed to complete a purchase, there are some reports of bank valuations being lower than accepted offers, suggesting lenders are remaining cautious despite such a competitive market. Sensibly priced property is attracting interest from buyers in a strong position to proceed, but some need help and advice to enable them to make the right, long-term decision. We are therefore delighted to announce our new property search and acquisition service BTF Finders, which will be headed up by Christopher Linton, who has nearly 30 years’ experience in buying, negotiating

and selling property throughout the South East. Christopher has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the property market in Kent and Sussex and a wide network to help and guide retained buyers to make a confident purchase. Our ability to match buyers and sellers, along with our wider Kent and Sussex network to support and advise on rural land and property ownership, means we can help open doors through our existing client network and help identify more discreet, off-market opportunities. Not everyone wants to put their property onto the open market for a number of reasons, so having access to a confidential network of buyers can be important. Many lifestyle buyers also value the support and extra information the firm can provide to enable them to understand some of the complexities of property ownership. So, in a market where supply is limited, why not see what opportunities we can help unlock and what doors we can open? On the market this autumn for the first time in over 65 years is the Manor Court Farm Estate, Ashurst, East Sussex, a diversified rural estate in the High Weald AONB available as a whole or in five lots, with 261.22 acres and a guide price of £3,750,000. Early interest is encouraging. Also on the market is Huggetts Farm at Eridge, available as a whole or in three lots, with a guide price of £2,340,000. The farm includes a Victorian farmhouse, planning permission to convert an

agricultural barn and 77 acres of pasture fields with woodland shaws. Both of these properties are being dealt with by our Heathfield office, which has recently been refurbished and doubled in size for staff and client comfort and to command an even more prominent position on the High Street. The Challock agency office has been extremely busy over the summer, completing a wide-range of sales including development land in East Kent, a significant equestrian livery business north of Maidstone and a 70 acre residential farm in the Weald, where the owners have relocated to the West Country. Solicitors have recently been instructed on 75 acres of land near Cranbrook in an executor sale which saw competitive bidding from several different horticultural and growing businesses in the Weald. Also available at the moment is The Moat Farmland, Benenden in Kent, which consists of a ring-fenced parcel of Grade III arable land, in all measuring 87 acres, with a guide price of £750,000. The spring pipeline looks healthy and we predict an early start to the selling season soon after Christmas, so purchasers with a particular property in mind would be well advised to register with us early to avoid disappointment or contact Christopher Linton at BTF Finders.

RICHARD THOMAS

Director, BTF Partnership T: 01233 740077 E: richard.thomas@btfpartnership.co.uk > Huggetts Farm

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

www.btfpartnership.co.uk

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

One of Kent’s most historic houses, the Grade II listed Hook Place in Southﬂeet, is for sale with BTF Partnership with a guide price of offers in excess of £1,195,000. The five-bedroomed house dates from at least the 16th century and was home to William Swan, 1st Baronet of Southfleet, who was born in 1631. Hook Place was occupied by the Swan family for several centuries and their family history can be traced back to the village from 1320. Arranged over four floors and with many original period features and oak beams throughout, Hook Place is set well back from the road and consists of a large reception hall with two reception rooms overlooking the substantial front garden. There is a large kitchen/breakfast room. To the back of the house is the drawing room and conservatory, opening out onto the beautiful listed walled garden. The reception hall also opens onto a walled entertaining area to the right of the property with a heated swimming pool and pool house with changing and shower facilities, providing an excellent space for indoor/outdoor living and entertaining. There are also steps down to a large cellar area which could provide a games room or wine cellar with additional storage. Upstairs there are five good-sized double bedrooms including a master bedroom, with en-suite bathroom, along with a further two family bathrooms. There are stairs leading to the attic space which could provide further accommodation subject to the necessary consent.

ONE OF KENT’S MOST HISTORIC HOUSES FOR SALE SOUTHFLEET | KENT

OIEO: £1,195,000

The magnificent listed walled garden at the rear of the property measures nearly an acre, and built into it is an ancient and listed brick gazebo which historically would have provided a shady seating area for ladies of the house to enjoy. There is also an area previously used as a grass tennis court which could be brought back into use. Alex Cornwallis at BTF Partnership commented: “This is a truly magnificent and historic house which is now ready for a new family to put their stamp on. Set well back from the road and accessed via a sweeping driveway, this is an impressive and imposing house. It has over 4,500ft² of living space situated within a plot of approximately 1.5 acres, which is incredibly rare in this location. “Hook Place provides a unique opportunity for

APPROX 1.5 ACRES

rural living. With there being so much interest in moving to a more spacious and rural location, I think this property will generate significant interest and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy one of Kent’s most historic homes, one which has previously only been on the open market on a couple of occasions.”

NEW PROPERTY SEARCH SERVICE LAUNCHED South East property stalwart Christopher Linton has joined the BTF family to head up its new property search service, BTF Finders, which matches buyers with sellers for a wide variety of property across Kent and Sussex. Christopher has nearly 30 years’ experience in buying, negotiating and selling all types of property across Kent and Sussex. His in-depth knowledge, attention to detail and understanding of the property market, along with his down-to-earth and straightforward approach, will give retained clients the experience and expertise to buy with confidence. Claire Houchin, Managing Director at BTF Partnership commented: “The ability to match buyers and sellers, along with BTF’s wider land agency network to support and advise on land and property ownership, means we can help open doors through our existing client network and also help to identify more discreet, off-market opportunities. Not everyone wants to put their property onto the open market, for a number of reasons, so having access to a discreet network of buyers can be important. “Many lifestyle buyers of rural properties also value the support and extra information we can provide to enable them to understand some of the complexities of rural property ownership.” Christopher Linton commented: “I’m delighted to have been brought into the BTF fold and to be heading up BTF Finders. This is a fantastic opportunity in a property market which is short of supply and where buyers seek to make a significant investment into their property purchase. We can help to save time,

narrow down possibilities and provide insight and information into local areas and markets to enable our clients to purchase with confidence and unlock the best opportunities.”

For more information on the BTF Finders service, or to speak to Christopher, see www.btfpartnership.co.uk/btf-finders

INTERESTING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Quality well water from 80 metre deep private borehole • Situated on the South Downs, West Sussex with good access. • Recently tested supply. • Presently 20 cubic metres a day. • Suitable for bottling. Supply running into 20ft x 80ft brick building suitable for conversion to bottling plant. • Any serious propositions considered. Terms for negotiation. • Lease/share

Serious enquiries only. Call 07947 517520 TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

RH & RW RH & CLUTTON

East Grinstead - 01342 410122 Petworth - 01798 344554 Guildford - 01483 300233 Follow us on :

Bespoke Planning Advice

for your planning journey

Now recruiting! Seeking a rural planner or surveyor for Cranbrook

Plumpton Nr Lewes, East Sussex A viticultural opportunity close to the South Downs Existing farm buildings with enormous potential together with 20.91 acres (8.46 ha)

www.therpp.co.uk

For Sale Freehold Contact James Tillard - 01342 305825

www.rhrwclutton.com

01342 410122

CIRENCESTER 01285 323200

CRANBROOK 01580 201888

jamest@rhrwclutton.co.uk

office@therpp.co.uk

Chartered Town Planner

Land & Property Experts

Southfleet, Kent A Grade II Listed detached 5-bed house (EPC - F) Extensive Listed walled gardens and grounds Significant off-road parking Situated in a rural yet accessible location Swimming pool and pool house No onward chain In all approximately 1.5 acres

Guide Price: OIEO Â£1,195,000 www.btfpartnership.co.uk E challock@btfpartnership.co.uk T 01233 740077

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

> Penhurst Estate

> Newdigate

> Storrington

BARE LAND FORGES AHEAD At the outset of 2020 we thought we were in for a record year. In the first eight weeks our statistics showed agreed sales, viewings and valuations for sale were all up well over 50% on the same period of 2019. We had not thought that come the middle of March almost all property related activity would be frozen by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our offices were closed during lockdown and we were working remotely to support the early sales that had been agreed. Plans for the sale of a number of farms and landed property were put on hold. However, one sector of the market forged ahead, even during lockdown. This was the sale of relatively small areas of bare land and land with stables and buildings. With the exceptionally fine spring and summer weather, people were looking to the countryside for self-sufficiency and to escape from the crowds. Viewing of bare land was still possible and the market was extremely active and has continued to be so. A significant number of sales have been achieved by Batcheller Monkhouse across Sussex and Surrey, with

prices typically ranging from £15,000 to £20,000 per acre for small bare land parcels, with additional value applied to stables and buildings. Larger lots typically achieved £11,000 to £12,000 per acre. Once the lockdown measures were relaxed in May, the market bounced back extremely quickly, with numerous buyers eagerly seeking residential properties with or without land, identifying Sussex and the rural parts of Surrey and Kent as ideal havens in which to live. This was fuelled by pent up demand, low interest rates and the Stamp Duty holiday. All our offices across the region reported a huge surge in activity. Properties, particularly with paddocks and amenity areas of land and woodland, proved to be extremely popular, and in many cases there were a number of buyers competing for what was a shortage of properties, which resulted in best and final bids. This was good news for vendors and it helped conclusively to achieve the best possible price. Commercial farms and estates were one sector of the market that did remain quiet this year as plans were put on hold, and particularly in West Sussex and

Surrey there were hardly any brought to the market. Sellers were clearly lacking in confidence, although our rural agency teams do have very capable buyers for these larger units if their criteria can be met. One delightful small farm which came to the market and was sold by Russell Parkes at the Pulborough Rural Agency Office was a 35-acre unit at Storrington on sought-after, free-draining Lower Greensand soil with a comprehensive range of agricultural and equestrian buildings and a detached dwelling. Competitive interest was generated and a sale was agreed in excess of the guide price of £1,800,000. There were slightly more larger units available in East Sussex, one being the glorious Penhurst Estate marketed by Matthew Braxton at the Battle office. The location of our rural agency offices enables us to provide professional and efficient services across the South East from Rye in the east to Chichester in the west and, further north, from Guildford to Tunbridge Wells. If you have plans for a sale in 2021 or are searching for rural property we very much look forward to hearing from you.

> SOLD Land Hassocks

RUSSELL PARKES

T: 01798 872081 E: r.parkes@batchellermonkhouse.com www.batchellermonkhouse.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

MATTHEW BRAXTON

T: 01424 775577 E: m.braxton@batchellermonkhouse.com www.batchellermonkhouse.com

4MARKET

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT THE FARMLAND

Low supply, variable demand and uncertainty regarding the potential impact of Brexit and Covid-19 continue to shape the farmland market. Will Whittaker of Strutt & Parker, who buys and sells land, farms and estates across the South East, offers some insight into the land market in the region.

1. SUPPLY AT RECORD LOWS

It is almost certain that 2020 will have seen the lowest amount of land publicly marketed on record. According to Strutt & Parker’s Farmland Database, which records the details of all blocks of publicly marketed farmland over 100 acres in size, 6,500 acres were launched in the South East during the first nine months of the year, compared with 8,500 acres in 2019 and more than 10,500 acres in 2018. Looking at England as a whole, just 46,000 acres of farmland were launched on the open market from the start of January to the end of September 2020, which is well below the five-year average.

2. PRIVATE SALES ON THE RISE

Nationally, we estimate private sales and purchases are currently accounting for 35% to 40% of farms and estates changing hands, a higher percentage than a year ago. In our experience, a number of vendors who had previously intended to sell on the open market are choosing to market privately instead. It is not yet clear whether this is a one-off or a long-term trend. However, if you are in the market for land, farms or an estate, it does make it ever more important to be registered with your local Strutt & Parker farm agent so that you can be alerted to off-market opportunities.

n of our 2020 instructions WILL WHITTAKER National Estates & Farm Agency rrey | Frensham Kent | Adisham ice On Application Price: £1,600,000 StruttGuide & Parker OR SALE UNDER OFFER T: 020 7318 5166 M: 07884 866275 E: will.whittaker@struttandparker.com www.struttandparker.com

historically captivating Manor House ated amongst the rolling Surrey Hills

A productive parcel of arable land on the edge of the North Downs

nham: 4.6 miles, Guildford: 13 miles, tral London: 47 miles

Barham: 1.5 miles, Aylesham: 1.5 miles, Canterbury: 8 miles, Dover: 10 miles

Grade 3 arable land | Split into 3 parcels | Good road access

ut 181 acres (73 ha)

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET About 185 acres (75 ha)

3. DEMAND IS LOCATION DRIVEN

Demand can be varied, depending on whether there is a local farmerbuyer or if the land has a broader appeal to those from further afield, investors or lifestyle buyers. Farmers remain the predominant type of buyer, in that they account for the greatest number of transactions. In 2020, these sales have typically involved farmers with rollover funds or large farming businesses that were in the market for farms and bare land to allow expansion. However, there is also good interest from investors and lifestyle buyers for farms launched in the buyer’s target area, highlighting the fact that many see land as a safe asset class in which to invest at times of uncertainty.

4. AVERAGE PRICES CONSISTENT

Average values for farmland remain remarkably consistent, although there continues to be a significant range in values between the top and bottom of the market. Our analysis of sales data shows that the average price of arable land sold in the South East this year has been £10,000/acre, but with prices ranging from a low of £8,000/acre to £12,000/acre. Pasture land has sold for between £6,500 and £11,000/acre. Overall, the trend in recent times in England is that about 30% of arable land sells for more than £10,000/acre, 20% sells for less than £8,000/acre and the rest falls between those two figures. If you have any questions about the land market in the South East or want to start preparations for a possible sale or purchase, then please do get in touch.

A selection of our 2020 instructions Surrey | Puttenham Guide Price: £5,975,000

Surrey | Frensham Price On Application

FOR SALE

Kent | Adisham Guide Price: £1,600,000

FOR SALE

UNDER OFFER

A substantial equestrian estate set in stunning Surrey Countryside

An historically captivating Manor House located amongst the rolling Surrey Hills

A productive parcel of arable land on the edge of the North Downs

London: 36 miles, Guildford: 5 miles, Portsmouth: 41 miles

Farnham: 4.6 miles, Guildford: 13 miles, Central London: 47 miles

Barham: 1.5 miles, Aylesham: 1.5 miles, Canterbury: 8 miles, Dover: 10 miles

5-Bedroom farmhouse | Extensive equestrian facilities including 22 stables, sand schools, gallops and fenced paddocks | Two 2-bedroom cottages | About 79 acres of arable land | Attractive income stream

Grade 3 arable land | Split into 3 parcels | Good road access

About 120 acres (48 ha) For sale as a whole or in 5 lots

About 181 acres (73 ha)

Kent | Stalisfield Guide Price: £2,900,000

East Sussex | Rushlake Green Guide Price: £1,750,000

UNDER OFFER

About 185 acres (75 ha)

Hampshire | Up Somborne Guide Price: £3,650,000

UNDER OFFER

SOLD

An outstanding residential and arable farm with enormous potential

A recently converted Granary set in enchanting woodland and pasture

A stunning block of productive arable land and buildings

Stalisfield: 1 mile, Charing station: 4 miles, Faversham: 7 miles, Central London: 54 miles

Rushlake Green: 2.4 miles, Stonegate station: 8.9 miles, Mayfield: 9.7 miles, South Coast: About 9 miles

Stockbridge: 4 miles, Winchester: 8 miles, Andover: 12 miles, London: 75 miles, Winchester station: 7 miles

4-Bedroom farmhouse | L-shaped range of traditional buildings with potential for conversion (STP) Productive arable fields | Mature woodland with wellregarded shoot

Newly converted barn with 4 ensuite bedrooms 2-Bay garage with room above | Well fenced grass fields, ponds and beautifully managed woodland

Selection of modern farm buildings | Free draining rich soils | Wonderful rolling countryside, in a sought after location

About 107 acres (43 ha)

About 295 acres (119 ha)

About 164 acres (66 ha)

For information on any of these sales or for advice on the market in general, please contact one of our team:

Mark McAndrew

Will Whittaker

Liza Howden

Will Langmead

John Osborne

London | 07702 317231

London | 07884 866275

London | 07469 154771

Salisbury | 07764 790494

Salisbury | 07818 539199

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

55 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

Record low farmland supply in 2019 looks almost certain to be topped in 2020, as the combination of Brexit, agricultural policy reform and the Covid-19 pandemic weigh on the market. Yet despite this uncertainty, farmland values have remained strong, highlighting the underlying confidence in rural investments and the ongoing resilience of the sector. In the South East we have seen strong demand for lifestyle farms for a number of years, but this has been further accelerated by the pandemic. There has been a remarkable uptick in interest for houses in the country and amenity farmland with the opportunity for diversification, as many urban-based buyers seek more green space out of the major centres. Rural estates with notable residential components are also attracting interest at the higher end of the market. Chris Spofforth, of Savills farm agency, said: “The South East is well placed to meet this surge in demand and with historic low supply and an increase in buyers, this presents a good opportunity for those considering selling in the spring.” Selling a farm has the potential to be a hugely stressful process, particularly when it combines the disposal of a home which has been occupied by the same family for many generations, a business, a livelihood and an inheritance. For the majority of sellers, the primary objective is to achieve the best price. To do this, preparing for the sale well in advance of any marketing is essential and will help to avoid delays or potential conflicts.

CLARIFY OWNERSHIP AND OCCUPATION

Are all the ownership details in order? All of the owners must be consulted on the decision to sell and each must sign the appointed agent’s letter of instruction. Preparation is particularly key for trustee or executor sales, where more paperwork is often required. If the farm is owned by a company, is the company or only the property assets for sale? Check with your accountant that there are no adverse tax implications.

COMPILE DOCUMENTATION

Choose a solicitor who has experience with farm

BE PREPARED

conveyances. Help them to be in a position to act efficiently once a sale is agreed by providing copies of all the relevant documents before the marketing commences. It pays to be ready to issue a legal pack shortly after agreeing a sale, particularly if a quick exchange of contracts has been targeted. This includes an up-to-date farm plan, a copy of the title deeds, where Basic Payment Scheme payments are claimed, copies of submitted claims and relevant correspondence, all tenancy/licence agreements for land and any residential properties which are let, paperwork supporting any commitments to government-backed schemes or designations, details of any planning permissions, records of building regulation approvals and planning ties such as agricultural occupancy conditions. Draw up a list of fixtures and fittings which are included in the sale price and another list of items you would be willing to sell and at what price.

DECIDE ON PRIVATE OR PUBLIC MARKETING

Most selling agents will offer you the option of a private or public sale. The former has the advantage of keeping a disposal out of the public realm, but may leave you, the seller, wondering whether or not the best possible price was achieved. Openly marketing a property using advertising, the internet and the press is the most effective way of reaching the widest target audience and therefore the highest number of potential buyers. Sale by auction is rarely used today for whole farms but remains popular for blocks of bare land, particularly when there are likely to be competing neighbours.

STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION

Continue to farm as if you were staying, including making any minor improvements you had planned. A sale can be won or lost by first impressions, so don’t give a potential purchaser the idea that you are giving up on the farm.

Make sure any potholes are filled in, fencing is repaired, gates hung, gutters are cleared, weeds are killed off, sheds mucked out and grass topped. Potential buyers will be comparing your farm to others, so simple tricks including adding an extra dose of nitrogen to grass and reducing livestock numbers so there is an abundance of grass, will help to show off your farm to its full potential. For arable farms, make sure the relevant crops are sown. You can either be compensated for these or include a holdover clause in the heads of terms.

SHOW OFF YOUR FARM’S PERFORMANCE

Have details of at least the past five years cropping and at least three years of yield history. Records of regular soil testing provide buyers with comfort that the land has not been exhausted of all its natural resources. Likewise have lambing percentages, calving rates and average dairy cow milk yields available for stock farms. Have drainage plans to hand and details of any recent improvements to drainage systems that have been made. If the farm has won any awards for performance, conservation or other noteworthy achievements, let people know.

BE UPFRONT

Remove all potential for confusion, which will erode a potential buyer’s confidence. Do not surprise a buyer once negotiations are underway over issues such as rights of way, private water supplies or a local development that may affect the farm; let them know from the outset. Above all remember first impressions really do count and the time spent preparing paperwork and the farm for sale will all be worthwhile. If you are thinking of selling your farm next year, Savills local and dedicated farm agency teams in Sevenoaks, Petworth and Winchester would be pleased to give you some guidance on being prepared and the processes involved in the sale.

CHRIS SPOFFORTH T: 01732 879050 M: 07812 965379 E: cspofforth@savills.com www.savills.co.uk

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

LAND AND FARMS

WHY RESIDENTIAL PROMOTION AGREEMENTS ARE ATTRACTIVE

Promotion agreements are a partnership between a landowner and a land promoter. A land promoter takes on the risk of obtaining planning permission on behalf of the landowner and then markets the site to housebuilders, securing the highest possible financial return. During the process the promoter works closely with councils, local residents and community groups to deliver much-needed high quality new home sites as well as additional benefits for the local community. Option agreements are historically the housebuilder’s preferred way to secure control of strategic land for the future. Under an option structure, there can be a clear conflict of interest between the landowner and housebuilder, when arriving at the determination of the end land value. However, a landowner and land promoter’s interests are aligned, with both parties wanting to maximise land value and the promoter not being distracted by the development of houses. At no cost to the landowner, a land promoter uses its in-house expertise and financial resources to fund the promotion of the land through the planning process. Once planning permission has been achieved, the site is then sold for the highest possible return through a competitive tender process, therefore maximising the value of the land. The landowner and land promoter work in partnership during the whole process and their return is based on a pre-agreed split of the sale proceeds.

A number of key benefits for the landowner include:

NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Both parties have a common interest to work as a partnership and achieve the best price that can be achieved on the open market. The land promoter’s financial return is wholly dependent on a successful sale of the property following the grant of a satisfactory planning permission. The land promoter therefore has an incentive to maximise value through the process and use their experience and knowledge of the current market conditions to partner with the purchasing party that is best placed to deliver on their promises.

FINANCING THE PROJECT

At no cost to the landowner, a land promoter uses their in-house expertise and financial resources to fund the promotion of the land through the planning process. Obtaining planning permission can be expensive and challenging, with no guarantee of success. Using a land promoter removes the risk for a landowner. The land promoter’s desire to achieve a satisfactory result is therefore paramount to its success, and appointing a land promotion partner should always be made following detailed references and based on past experience.

DETERMINATION OF BEST PRICE

After receiving a satisfactory planning permission, the promoter will prepare a detailed

marketing strategy for the disposal of the land and this will be agreed with the landowner as part of the partnership approach before the land is openly marketed to interested parties. The promoter will prepare a detailed information pack containing a comprehensive list of legal, planning and technical reports in order to both assist and streamline the process. This enables the interested tenderers to de-risk their evaluation and maximise the premium they are prepared to pay.

MANAGEMENT OF THE PROCESS

Land promoters employ a specialist team of experienced housebuilding and property professionals who understand the importance of a personal approach and landowner involvement throughout the process. Through the partnership approach, landowner involvement can be tailored to individual personal requirements on an open and transparent basis.

RETAINED USE OF YOUR LAND

The land promoter is seeking to obtain planning approval and maximise financial returns for its landowner clients. The land promoter will not be the end purchaser and therefore interests are aligned to maximise value and deliver a sustainable new development at the earliest opportunity. Throughout the partnership, the landowner retains legal ownership of the promotion site and can continue to farm and manage the land or property as is required as long as the activity does not impact on future development costs.

Could your land have development potential? Find out more about land promotion

DAVID HARPER

Area Land Director T: 01926 836910 E: davidh@catesbyestates.co.uk W: www.catesbyestates.co.uk

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

END OF YEAR PROPERTY REVIEW

2020 will be a year that many will be glad to see the back of. In the agricultural sector we started the year with an extremely wet winter and then went into a dry spring along with the arrival of Coivd-19. Since then we have all been on the ongoing rollercoaster ride of lockdowns and now the 3-tier system. As a result, levels of land marketed have been low in 2020 on the back of a low year in 2019 which suffered from political uncertainty and Brexit. How quickly we forget! Despite all this, demand for land remains strong and values have largely remained unchanged. The range of prices being achieved is wider but good prices are still being achieved for quality land with good access. We have seen good quality arable land still achieve values in excess of ÂŁ10,000 per acre. Active buyers in the market include existing farming businesses and neighbours looking to expand and take advantage of current low interest rates, development and rollover buyers who tend to look for quality, local or well equipped farms, specialist purchasers such as vineyards and more recently the significant revival of the lifestyle buyer and the race for space in the countryside. Good examples of the recent activity in the property market include Ely Court Oast, (where planning had been obtained to convert to residential) which had 90 viewings. Cullens Farm, Elham, attracted 50 viewings, had 18 offers and exceeded the guide price. More recently, Pond Farm, Sevenoaks, received 16 offers and Foxbury Farm, Sevenoaks, sold in three lots in the region of the guide price. Off-market transactions continue to be attractive to some and account for approximately 30% of all land traded on the market. We have concluded several sales of bare land off market and have also advised on several off-market land purchases. This has included land sales to farmers and to specialist purchasers.

2021â&#x20AC;Ś

Looking forward, prices are set to remain stable. With a government pushing an economy based on construction and development, the rollover

THE 2020 ROLLERCOASTER

purchasers will remain. Equally the demand from lifestyle buyers looking to move into rural areas is unlikely to change. We also have the entry of environmental purchasers looking at carbon offsetting and bio-diversity net gain. This area, although young and emerging, has the potential to develop significantly. With a reduced supply of land coming to the market, values should remain stable in the short term and in some cases premiums will be paid for quality. There is still Brexit and we now have the Agriculture Act and the transition period will commence. For many this could lead to change. For some, now may be the right time to consider their options and take advantage of the market and current tax regime.

T: 01233 506 201 www.hobbsparker.co.uk

JAMES HICKMAN

Director E: james.hickman@hobbsparker.co.uk

JON RIMMER

Group Chairman E: jon.rimmer@hobbsparker.co.uk

MATTHEW SAWDON

Director E: matthew.sawdon@hobbsparker.co.uk

SAM SNART

Managing Director E: sam.snart@hobbsparker.co.uk

VICKY PHILLIPS

Director E: vicky.phillips@hobbsparker.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

Industrial & Commercial | Structural Steelwork | Agricultural & Equestrian

G. J. ELGAR

CONSTRUCTION Ltd

Shufflebottom Agricultural Buildings Steel-frame buildings for your farm + Supply only or supply & erect + Construction all over the UK + Award winning company

• • • • • • •

Steel frame buildings Sheeting and cladding Guttering and repairs Groundworks and drainage Demolition and asbestos removal Refurbishment and change of use Concrete frame and steel frame repairs • Insurance and general repairs • Concrete floor and block paving

Strength, Security, Style Contact us for a free quotation 01269 831831 enquiry@shufflebottom.co.uk www.shufflebottom.co.uk Shufflebottom Ltd Cross Hands Business Park, Cross Hands, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 6RE

www.gjelgarconstruction.co.uk For more information contact us: t: 01233 623739 m: 07860 414227 e: simon@gjelgarconstruction.co.uk

G.E.WHITE & SONS Ltd

Based in Lewes, East Sussex

AGRICULTURAL, EQUESTRIAN & INDUSTRIAL STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS We supply CONCRETE PANELS – Any size to suit your needs

formabuild.co.uk

 01273 492404  info@formabuild.co.uk  www.formabuild.co.uk We specialise in the supply and construction of steel framed buildings together with the repair and refurbishment of existing farm buildings. Based in the heart of Sussex, covering the South East. Sussex builders since at least 1605. Forma offer all aspects of steel framed construction and cladding together with groundworks and electrical fit out if required.

All our buildings are

marked

“You tried the others, now try the brothers”

All our panels are marked

All aspects of steel work, cladding & groundwork. Family run business with 45 years experience.

100% British designed & built

34 Year’s experience

Site visits Call to arrange a site survey

CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

All refurbishments & repairs undertaken. Call for a free quote today.

Gary White 07812 599679 Jason White 07941 274751

CONSTRUCTION

CS982 SE Farmer Advert 60mm x 93.qxd:Layout 1

12/12/12

rn & s he s nt ut er AK ou So rm S isc Fa AM r d R e b em M

A one-stop-shop for all Profiled Roofing Products: BIGG ES T RA NGE IN THE SOUTH EAS T PROMPT AND RELIABLE SERVICE HUGE STOCKS

Call: 01342 337159 www.southernsheeting.co.uk

Hill Place Farm, Turners Hill Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 4LX

ENWARD

CLASSIFIEDS

14:1

CONSTRUCTION

FARM BUILDING REPAIRS We will continue to work through coronavirus, and we will be available to attend site and estimate customers projects and/or insurance repair/works. We have now insisted that our employees wear suitable personal protection equipment on any such works until further notice.

LET’S KEEP WORKING!

REFURBS, BIG 6 ROOF SHEETS, ROOF LIGHTS, RIDGES, VERGES, VALLEY GUTTERS, BOX GUTTERS, BOUNDARY GUTTERS, ASBESTOS, SHEETING Single Sheet To Whole Roof Roller Shutters Accidental or Storm Damage Works Demolition Refurbishments Waste Clearances

We are available to carry out ESSENTIAL REPAIR WORKS to AGRICULTURAL LIVESTOCK/STORAGE BUILDINGS etc

SOUTH EAST CLADDING LTD Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT!

FREEPHONE: 01233 659129

from BT land-line

MOBILE: 07813 142 145 charlie.woodger@btinternet.com

Family run business with over 45+ years of experience, from concept to completion. Family business Family runrun business

with over 45+45+ years of of with over years

CONSTRUCTION

experience, concept experience, from concept Steel framefrom buildings, to completion. to completion. cladding and associated works. Steel frame buildings, Steel frame buildings, cladding andand associated cladding associated

Specialists in: works. works. • Agricultural, Specialists in: in: equestrian & light Specialists • Agricultural, industrial buildings • Agricultural, light equestrian & light •equestrian In house&fabrication industrial buildings industrial buildings •• In Planning services house fabrication • In house fabrication available • Planning services

Kenward Construction based in Horsham, West Sussex offer a full design and build service for your next steel framed building including composite cladding, concrete panels, roller shutter doors and bespoke designs to meet individual planning conditions. Kenward Construction also offer a wide range of services offering a truly one stop shop for your next farm building project. Demolition, plant hire, access • Planning services available roads, drainage, sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting, biobed wash lanesconstruction.co.uk available01323 848684 lanesbuildings@btconnect.com downs, paving, concrete foundations / slabs, walling and site landscaping. lanesconstruction.co.uk lanesbuildings@btconnect.com 01323 848684 ALL WORK ALL WORK

APPROVED APPROVED

lanesconstruction.co.uk

Arrange a site visit with one of our contracts managers to discuss your project in more detail by emailing enquiries@kenwardgroundworks.co.uk or call 01403 210218

www.kenwardgroundworks.co.uk

lanesbuildings@btconnect.com

01323 848684

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

CONSTRUCTION

Agriculture ~ Cold Storage ~ Equestrian ~ Industrial ~ Waste Recycling • Agricultural Buildings • Cold Store Buildings • Equestrian Buildings • Industrial Buildings • Waste Recycling Buildings TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

01323 890403 www.danddconstruction.co.uk info@danddconstruction.co.uk

• Structural Steel • Drawing Services • Design Services • Mezzanine Floors • Custom Steelwork

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION

JPR “ROOFING” & GUTTERING INSTALLATIONS LTD

SHORTLAND STRUCTURES LTD

Fully insured and licensed. 23 years family run business. Covering all KENT & SUSSEX We will continue to work through coronavirus, and we will be available to attend site and estimate customers projects and/or insurance repair/works. We have now insisted that our employees wear suitable personal protection equipment on any such works until further notice.

• STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS • CLADDING • ERECTING • • EXTENSIONS • ALTERATIONS • CONCRETE PANELS • ROLLER/SLIDING/PERSONNEL DOORS • Tel: 01732 460912 Mobile: 07976 287836 Email: sales@shortlandstructures.com

www.shortlandstructures.com

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

LET’S KEEP WORKING! Asbestos Sheet removal Roof & gutter repairs New roofs & cladding Refurbishments Roller shutter doors Demolition & clearance

CONTRACTORS

G & S BROWN

Drainage Contractors Working with farmers since 1947

● LAND DRAINAGE ● DITCHING ● POND WORK ● WATER SUPPLIES ● SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS ● GROUNDWORKS ● PLANT HIRE 360° EXCAVATORS

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

We are available to carry out ESSENTIAL REPAIR WORKS to AGRICULTURAL LIVESTOCK/STORAGE BUILDINGS etc

S W ATTWOOD & PAR

Contact: Chris, for a no obligation quotation: Tel: 07813 142145 or 01233 659129 (7 days)

LAND DRAINAGE

www.jprmaintenance-construction.co.uk

FOR ESTIMATES & ENQUIRIES

 FIELD MAPPING  DRAINAGE SURVEYING   DESIGN  Penfold Profiles DRAINAGE

(01622) 890884

info@brownsdrainage.co.uk FIELDEmail: MAPPING www.brownsdrainage.co.uk DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN SWA DRAINAGE

 

Asbestos removal S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS FROM £220 PER ACRE LAND S W ATTWOOD &DRAINAGE PARTNERS Sheeting LAND DRAINAGE Guttering  FIELD MAPPING FROM £220 PER ACRE

SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

SURVEYING RA M S A DRAINAGE K

 DESIGN  Specialists in agricultural and industrial buildingsDRAINAGE M

ASBESTOS

FROM £220 PER ACRE GUTTERS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Survey Aluminium liners USliners OR VISIT OUR Removal PLEASE CONTACTPVC Disposal WEBSITE: Accessories

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SHEETING PHONE: 01795 880441 • FIELD MAPPING • DRAINAGE SURVEYING Complete buildings PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR • DESIGN • DRAINAGE New roof EMAIL: system for james@swattwood.com conversions Repairs – Rooﬂights

WEBSITE:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JAMES OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.attwoodfarms.com PHONE: 01795 880441

07864 823 476 07889 481618 penfoldprofiles@btinternet.com www.penfoldprofiles.co.uk

TOM: 01795 880441 or 07884 664035

james@swattwood.com EMAIL: james@swattwood.com  EMAIL: GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING Penfold Profiles. Lees Paddock, High Halden, Ashford, Kent LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION  PLANT HIRE OUR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET INERT TIPPING WEBSITE:   GRAIN STORAG

www.attwoodfarms

CLASSIFIEDS

CONTRACTORS

LAND DRAINAGE, EARTHWORKS, GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION FULL LAND DRAINAGE SERVICE sportsfields, amenity and irrigation systems using Mastenbroek trenchers

REACH FARMERS

PONDS, LAKES & RESERVOIRS construction and maintenance GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION primary excavations, aggregate sub-base, agricultural construction and concreting

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS water course maintenance and improvement works

CROP DRYING

For all enquiries call 01233 860404 07770 867625 (Harvey) or 07768 115849 (Dave)

Grubbing, timber & groundwork services • orchard grubbing

• land clearance

• windbreak removal

• excavations

• timber extraction

• cultivations

• fallen tree removal

• pond dredging

• ground contouring

• reservoir construction

W.H.Skinner & Sons

01622 744640 - 07711 264775 www.whskinnerandsons.co.uk

FENCING

PHILIP JUNIPER Fencing Services

Specialists in Stock, Deer and Equestrian Fencing Covering the South East Tel: (01403) 700509 Mobile: 07836 219344

www.philipjuniper.co.uk

Manufacturers of Chestnut Fencing Products Hardwood gates

Manufacturers of centrifugal, low volume and portable fans, air tunnels, drive over floors, grain stirrers and gas burners

PELLCROFT www.pellcroft.com | sales@pellcroft.com | 01526 342466

EVENTS

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST • Toilets & Showers for hire • Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

Cleft post and rail

• Effluent Tank Emptying

Stakes and posts

• Events also catered for with marquees & toilets

Chestnut fencing

CWP fenci f n ng

FOUR JAYS GROUP

Tel: 07985298221 www.cwpfencing.co.uk

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410 enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

ALL TYPES OF FENCING & GATES

HAY & STRAW • Conventional bales of hay

Supplied and erected & Repairs

• Big square bales of hay & haylage

Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891 Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883 TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

Julian Godwin 01299 832259 / 07872 964814 Worcester www.foxley-farm.co.uk

Excellent • Grass & Maize silage – analysis available • A1 quality – competitive prices – delivery on our own lorries

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

CLASSIFIEDS

PRESSURE WASHERS HAULIERS

07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

SALES, SERVICE & HIRE OUT of Pressure Washers, Vacuums, Scrubber Dryers, Sweepers & Dry Steamers from the leading manufacturers! Fully Stocked mobile engineers with full manufacturer training. Over 45 YEARS in trading!

TEL:01293 554750 TEL:01293 HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

WWW.PRESSURECLEAN.CO.UK WWW.PRESSURECLEAN.CO.UK

Find us on Facebook

VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain ™

The independent monthly publication dedicated to viticulture and wine making in Great Britain

STORAGE TANKS

SMITHS

of the Forest of Dean Ltd.

The Tank and Drum Experts

Buy from stock. Visit us to collect or same day dispatch with nationwide delivery. New and recycled IBC Tanks. Plastic and Steel Drums. Water Tanks, IBCs & Fittings.

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www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk 01959 543747 CHRISTMAS 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

CLASSIFIEDS FROM £65 To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

CROSSWORD ®

VINEYARDS

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN One bottle of Pinot Reserve and one bottle of Ortega

ACROSS

9 10

12 13 14

Stone fruit (9) Dirt (5) To conquer (8) Metric unit (5) Area on which a building is constructed (4) Making noise during sleep (7) Painting by Van Gogh (3,6,5) Combining two companies (6) Playground item (6) Brand of hat (7) Duck (4) Observant; Thoughtful; Considerate (9) Defender; Bodyguard (9) Bird of prey (4)

1 2 3 4 6 7 10 13 14 15 17 18 19 21 22 23 24

A dozen dozen (5) Build (5) Pleasant (4) Plant nutrient (7) Cake topping (5) Travelling in one side and out the other (7) Very small (4) ---- of Grain (Kent village) (4) Rare breed sheep (9) Require (4) One of the four fundamental states of matter (3) Seed; pit (5) Body part (3) Uptight (5) The presence of a contaminant (5) Bird (5) Colour of snow (5)

DOWN

1 5 8 9 11 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 26 27

Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Non ruminant animal (11)

To enter, simply unscramble the

anagram (11) using the green squares.

Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 25 January. The winner will be announced in the January edition. TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: 1

VINEYARDS

Just in time for Christmas, we

information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726. *Subject to availability

N I

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O W S

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A 26

T R

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and one bottle of Ortega. For more

T 11

are offering readers the chance to win one bottle of Pinot Reserve

W A

N D

Correct answer: Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus LAST MONTH’S WINNER: Kate McCutcheon from Tonbridge, Kent

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | CHRISTMAS 2020

TI M E FO R NEW G ROW T H

The asset finance provider for the Farming & Agricultural community in the South East. At One Threadneedle we offer more than funds - we unlock possibilities and enable growth. We thrive on building a trusted and open relationship with our customers, ensuring we understand everything from the bigger picture, to the smallest level of detail. To see how we could support your business contact our Field Based specialist Sean Phelan on 07887 737 549 – email sean@onetnl.com or call the office in Tunbridge Wells

onethreadneedle.com 01892 489 489 LOCAL

•

PERSONAL

21, Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8AE •

F R I E N D LY

•

EXPERIENCED

•

INDEPENDENT

One Threadneedle is a credit broker, not a lender. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (839978)